Indestructible Spirit
by SkywalkerT-65
Summary: Born and raised in Britain, HMS Indestructible served a worthy career under the flag of the Royal Navy. She had expected to rest in peace, and be remembered for her service alone. She had most certainly not expected to be summoned in a human body, in the country that had abandoned her...abandoned the battlecruiser Kongou...
1. Prologue: Indestructible

**AN: Well, my first _new_ story in a bit, at least on here. And my first new _fandom_ in even longer. This is a fic I've been posting over on Sufficient Velocity, and it's been decently popular. So I decided I'd do my first _reverse_ cross-post, and post something here that started on another site.**

 **In any case, this one was inspired by an idea posted in the fanfic thread there by a user named inquisition. Namely, what if...for _some_ reason or another, _Kongou_ was delayed to the point the Japanese decided to just take the designs, and build the three remaining sisters on their own. Because in this timeline, the Diet only authorized _three_ Armored Cruisers instead of four. This leaves the incomplete _Kongou_ to be bought by the Royal Navy as HMS _Indestructible_.**

 **And then we have an entirely new history to work with for everyone's favorite British born _and_ raised fast battleship, when she's eventually summoned by the Japanese during the Abyssal War. With that in mind, it's worth noting that...well, she _is not the same_. There will be similar traits to show this is still Kongou, but otherwise...**

 **Yeah, different experiences=different character.**

 **Here's hoping people enjoy this here as well as there.**

* * *

 **Prologue: Indestructible**

"We need more ships, sir."

Admiral Daiki Takeda sighed softly, looking up from his paperwork. One of his most brilliant Commanders, a young man named Goto, was sending him a serious look. Takeda put down his pen, to more easily focus on that look, recognizing it as one he himself had leveled at both the Diet and American Admirals. For much the same reason that Goto was giving him it at this very moment, in fact. The Abyssals...there were never enough ships to combat them. They were far reaching, and very dangerous. Trying to defeat them was difficult and required resources that Japan just didn't have. No matter how many of their own warships they summoned back as kanmusu, that point didn't change.

It was why he had tried to convince the Diet and Americans to send more of _their_ kanmusu to help. But he had always gotten the same answer. That the Americans were too busy covering their own shores, and couldn't possibly provide enough to cover Japan as well. This despite the madhouse that was the United States Navy of the Second World War. A navy more than large enough to supply enough kanmusu to cover Japan, at least to some extent. There was nothing he could have done though, and Takeda had resigned himself to making do with what he had.

"I am aware of this," the Admiral finally spoke, his rough voice carrying through the room, "But my answer remains the same. The Diet has made it quite clear we are unable to get more support from our allies."

Goto stubbornly shook his head, "I didn't mean more ships from our _allies_."

The emphasis the young man put on that last word had Takeda sigh again. Goto wasn't a bigot or ultra-nationalist, the man was just frustrated...they all were.

"Then what are you suggesting?" Takeda interlocked his fingers, looking over his hands at his subordinate.

"We need to summon more of _our_ kanmusu," the younger man replied.

"And who would you suggest we summon? We already have all three of the Hiei sisters, Nagato and her sister, Yamato and _her_ sister..." Takeda listed off the battleships on his finger, "All of our battleships have already been summoned, right down to Fusou and Yamashiro. Our carriers are much the same. Unless you are suggesting we summon our pre-dreadnoughts, we are in no position to summon more kanmusu that would have any real impact on our situation."

"I wasn't suggesting that," Goto shook his head again.

"Then who?"

The young Commander smirked, "Tosa. Her or Amagi."

Takeda just frowned, "Neither of those ships were ever completed. Tosa was closer, but she had not even received her armament."

"Ah, but the Americans summoned Hawaii."

That...that was technically true. That kanmusu was nearly complete when her ship hull had been scrapped though. Even her primary weaponry had been fitted. The same could hardly be said about Tosa _or_ Amagi- the original Amagi, as they had already summoned her successor. Even Tosa, the much further along warship, had only been complete to her main deck. No weapons were ever fitted, before she was expended as a target. Which, in of itself, would make summoning her difficult. Where would her loyalty be, to the country that had not even given her the dignity of being scrapped?

On the other hand...it was hardly something they _couldn't_ do. The chance was slim, very slim, but Japan needed every ship she could muster. In that regard...

"Very well, we can attempt to summon them," Takeda pulled himself to his feet, as Goto practically jumped to his own.

The man had more energy than he knew what to do with, clearly. Takeda couldn't help a small smirk crossing his face at that. Goto reminded him of himself, in his younger days. It was amusing in a way, but for now, reflecting on that could wait. He needed to make some calls, and set up the process to summon a kanmusu once more. It had been some time since Japan had done so...Shimikaze had been the last one they had summoned, and that was two months ago.

Even so, he had _some_ political clout, as the overall commander of the kanmusu. It wouldn't be hard to get the materials and everything set up within the day.

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

And, as it turned out, it _wasn't_ difficult. Within a handful of hours, Admiral Takeda was standing in a Shinto Shrine with Goto, and a handful of others. The materials and other set up had already been brought in, and it was just a matter of waiting to see what would happen from that point on. At least, that was the case for the Admiral. He had sat in on many, _many_ summonings. Including the one that had brought back Yamato herself. But he had never had an active role in the proceedings, leaving that task to those...if not trained for it, at least experienced in it.

Frankly, Takeda still didn't fully understand the details of the process.

"This is the first time you've been present for a summoning, correct?" the Admiral turned his head, looking down on the suddenly nervous commander next to him.

"Yes," Goto replied, "Least of all one I suggested."

"They're all the same," Takeda replied easily, before backtracking slightly, "With the exception of Yamato. We did everything in our power to make _that_ one special."

"I can imagine. She is the symbol of our nation, after all."

That she was...but this summoning was nowhere near as extravagant as Yamato's. It was much more similar to the average one for a battleship. More important than a cruiser or lighter ship, but still not as important as the symbol of their nation. Takeda didn't know if that was a good thing or not though. On the one hand, they wouldn't be wasting time and resources if Tosa and Amagi refused to hear the call. On the other hand, they may refuse for exactly that reason...Tosa especially so. The Admiral couldn't claim to understand how the kanmusu felt during their call to arms.

But he could easily imagine that Tosa, cut down as a target instead of being finished or given the dignity of being scrapped and her materials used to help someone, may not be willing to come back easily. He wouldn't even be able to blame her...unable to serve her nation, as anything but a target for her older cousins. That would be more than enough reason to be bitter.

"We're beginning the summoning."

His private doubts aside however, Takeda could do no more than watch as the summoning began.

* * *

 _Darkness...sleep. Peace._

 _"I am Kongou, first of the Kongou-class battlecruisers! Born in Britain but raised in..."_

 _Stirring...something calling for her._

 _"You are no longer Kongou. Japan has declined purchasing this hull after the delays in construction proved too long for them."_

 _'What...I...'_

 _"You are now HMS Indestructible of the Royal Navy."_

 _'I am...Indestructible? But my sisters! My...'_

 _Her country abandoned her. She would have served with pride and honor alongside her sisters. But she had been abandoned, left to instead serve the Royal Navy. Why? Was she not good enough? The delay wasn't enough right? Why would she be left alone like this?_

 _"Welcome to the Royal Navy, Indestructible!"_

 _'Thank you Invincible!'_

 _She wasn't alone though. Her...cousins? They were there. They would help her through this, even if she wasn't like them. Indestructible...not Kongou. Perhaps, she could make this work. Even as war approached, she could make this work._

 _Return...we need your aid._

 _Indestructible fought alongside her cousins...and indeed, her younger sisters. They weren't the sisters she had believed she would have, but Irresistible and Implacable were every bit her sisters as Hiei and future girls ever would have been. They had all served as best as they could in the Great War. She herself had been at Jutland...seen her mentor Invincible destroyed, along with Queen Mary and Indefatigable. She had fought hard upon seeing that, her crew craving revenge for such horrible losses. Her guns had crippled SMS Seydlitz, very nearly sinking her. But that hadn't been enough to fill the hole in her heart...the hole where her mentor had once been._

 _But beyond that battle, she did not fight as much in the war. Her actions were always exemplary, but the Germans declined fighting the main force of the Royal Navy. And so, Indestructible spent her time on blockade duty with her sisters. She would only see the Germans in combat one more time at Heligoland Bight. After that, she would never see another German warship, until it came time to escort them to Scapa Flow after the War ended._

 _Please...return to aid us..._

 _After that, was the long period of peace. Indestructible and her sisters watched as their elder cousins, those who survived the war, were scrapped one by one to keep the politicians happy. Even Tiger, a surrogate younger sister whom Indestructible was rather fond of, didn't escape. In the end, with Courageous, Furious and Glorious all converted to Aircraft Carriers, the only battlecruisers left in the Royal Navy were Indestructible, her sisters, and the newer Renown, Repulse and Hood. Perhaps, even her and her sisters would have been gone as well, were it not for...for the girls who might once have been her sisters._

 _For when Japan modernized her Hiei-class battlecruisers into fast battleships, the Royal Navy- with ships that were nearly identical -decided the best option was to do the same, and sacrifice three of the Revenge-class battleships instead, to keep to the treaties._

 _"Well I'll be damned, you might just be as good as me now!"_

 _'I...you're right! I am, aren't I?'_

 _"Renown's right, it's good to see you'll be around a bit longer Indestructible. You've taught me so much, I doubt I can ever repay that debt."_

 _'Ah...Hood...'_

 _"Don't be modest now! It's not like my mentor to be modest!"_

 _Indestructible had cherished those memories...the last happy memories she had with Hood. Her dear friend would be sunk by the Germans...just as her own mentor had been, so long ago. Just as Invincible had been blown apart by her magazines, so too would Hood. Indestructible had cursed the Germans upon the news of that...cursed them as tears brought about by memories of Jutland flashed in front of her. Her spirit cried for the loss of another of her comrades._

 _But instead of facing the Germans, she would be sent to the Pacific with Prince of Wales, Repulse, and her sisters Irresistible and Implacable. Sent to the Pacific...to reinforce the Dutch and Australians against the Japanese. A direct counter to her...to her estranged sisters, Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima._

 _Return! We need your aid!_

 _Luckily or unluckily, she would never see her Japanese siblings. Indestructible would instead feel the sharp bite of a torpedo, piercing even her improved armor. A torpedo that doomed her...doomed her to a slow, watery death. Her mind had faded, as the cold water ran over her decks, her crew picked up by her crying sisters. She had felt no anger as she sank though...merely relief she would not have to face the judgmental eyes of her lost siblings. Indestructible had let the cold waters take her, content to sleep._

 _But now..._

 _'Who is...why am I being called?'_

 _Please, come back to us proud warrior of the ocean!_

 _'I...I will return! Indestructible, British born and raised battleship, will return!'_

* * *

"...that is not what I expected."

"No, no it is not. That is a Royal Navy uniform."

"But we didn't..."

"No, we didn't. I wonder..."

"She _looks_ like one of our own though, Admiral."

"Indeed..."

HMS Indestructible heard the voices around her, even though she shouldn't have. She didn't hear them through the walls of metal and steel of her old body. She heard them through soft ears, the feeling of equally soft skin resting on the ground rushing through her. She didn't know these feelings...but they felt as natural to her as the feeling of her boilers running through maneuvers. Of her mighty guns firing on targets, at Jutland or elsewhere. Or...of cold water, rushing over her decks as she finally went to rest.

Impossible or not, the old battleship opened her eyes, the brown pools looking at her surroundings. She...had no idea where she was. This wasn't anything she recognized, from the talk of her crews. It wasn't a British naval base. If anything, the wooden walls and paper doors looked surprisingly...Japa...

 _They weren't speaking English!_

Indestructible jumped to her feet, her uniform rustling as she spun around, finally noting who had spoken. Two men, both in unfamiliar uniforms. The uniforms weren't the issue though...both of them were _very_ clearly Japanese. She was with the enemy!

"Calm down, you're among friends," the man in the fancier uniform held his hands up, not a weapon in sight.

"You're not my bloody friends," Indestructible replied, speaking perfect, proper British accented, English.

The man raised an eyebrow at that, switching to heavily accented English of his own, "I...can understand why you would think that. I assure you it wasn't our intention to summon you here...we were trying for Tosa. I'm not quite certain why we summoned a British kanmusu instead."

 _Kanm..._

"Ship Girl?" the battleship blinked, "What are you talking about Admiral?"

Instincts were hard to break, and she automatically acted respectful when asking that question. The moment she had finished speaking though, Indestructible shook her head, and returned to being on edge. She had no idea where she was, other than being in Japan, or how to use her body. But she would run before she let herself be captured. Her best trait was her speed after all!

"That...is a very long story," the Admiral- who else would have such a fancy uniform? -replied slowly, "Suffice to say, we have been summoning Kanmusu for some time, to fight a new enemy that has driven our conventional forces from the sea. The Royal Navy has done the same, so I...am not quite sure why we summoned you instead of them. What is your name, kanmusu?"

Warily watching the man for any signs of hostility, the battleship replied, "HMS Indestructible."

There was silence, shocked silence, as the Japanese men had their jaws drop. Even the Admiral looked flabbergasted, and Indestructible had to hold back a giggle with everything she was worth. Looked like she could do the same to humans that she could to her...to her sisters. What...had they survived the war? She hoped they had. She had been so...so _tired_...that her thoughts upon sinking hadn't been about her failure to protect Irresistible and Implacable.

Something that was weighing her down now, as she slumped slightly.

"I can't believe it," the younger man spoke up, drawing the battleship from her dark thoughts, "Kongou...we summoned _Kongou_."

A flash of anger went through Indestructible at that name...her old name, "I am _not_ Kongou. My name is Indestructible, because Japan abandoned me. I am a British battleship now."

"Of course," the Admiral spoke soothingly, "I apologize for Commander Goto's words. Now, Indestructible...the war ended decades ago. Japan is an ally of Great Britain and the United States now. I'm sure we can work out a way to get you back home. For now though, if you will follow me, you can stay with our kanmusu until then. I'm sure they can help you adjust to...your new body."

Indestructible was not inclined to trust this man. Japan may not get the _anger_ that Germany did, but on the other hand, they had been enemies. She may not have hated them for sinking her, so long ago.

But she wasn't going to trust them, until she could contact London.

* * *

 **AN: Do I expect a lot of people to read this one? Not in the same way as posting a Madoka or Bleach fic would do. But as said above, this is decently popular already on SV, I just figured it was worth...broadening the fanbase. Or trying.**

 **We'll see how that goes. I hope anyone new who read this enjoyed it at least!**


	2. Chapter 1: New Life

**AN: Figured I could go ahead and update here, since I got another chapter out on SV. Glad to see it getting interest here too, by the way!  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: New Life**

Walking through a _Japanese_ naval base, was something that HMS Indestructible had never once thought she would be doing. Well, walking at _all_ was something she had never thought possible for her. To be walking through a base of her last enemy...of the country that had abandoned her, so long ago, was another story entirely though. She saw nothing but men in unfamiliar uniforms...and girls, their hulls flashing before her eyes before their new bodies. Their _unique_ outfits only slightly drew her attention from that. Being surrounded by the familiar forms of Japanese cruisers and destroyers...it had her more on edge than she would willingly admit.

Which was almost depressing in a way. At one time, these girls would have been her best friends. She would have served with them, and been completely at ease surrounded by them. But that was when she was Kongou. Indestructible had no reason to trust the Japanese, even if she hadn't survived long enough to truly fight them. The last she remembered, they had been enemies. It would take more than the word of even an Admiral to make her forget that. She needed to hear from London. If the Admiralty said that she was allied with Japan, then things could change.

Until then...

"You can relax," the Admiral spoke up, looking out of the corner of his eye.

"No, I can't," Indestructible replied, "No offense Admiral, but I don't trust any of you."

"Understandable," he nodded respectfully, "But you really don't need to worry. We're allies, and if anyone attempted to hurt you I would have them charged for it."

"Hm."

This was perhaps the longest the old battleship had ever been this serious. But there was a time for her normal, very cheerful, personality. In a base surrounded by people she could potentially be attacked by, was not it.

If the Admiral noticed that or not, he didn't show it. Instead, he just shook his head, a bemused look on his aged face.

"I won't tell you what to believe, or who to trust," he said softly, or at least as soft as his rough voice could go, "After all, my nation has given _you,_ in particular, little reason to trust us...Kongou."

She might have snapped at the use of her...her former name. But she could see his use of it for what it was, and instead, just nodded slightly herself. Her cascade of brown hair fell into her face, hiding the old, never forgotten pain.

The Admiral smiled wanly, looking up at the sky, "There may be nothing I can do personally to make up for that. Even so, I hope you can come to trust us as allies, if not friends. For now, I have work to attend to. I'll leave you with..."

"Teitoku?"

Indestructible turned from the Admiral, and instead saw a young- probably only barely into her teens, if not younger -girl standing in front of them. She was a short little thing, dressed in an ill-fitting blue and white...well, what Indestructible assumed was a school uniform. Though the fact the skirt barely covered her thighs and her shirt rode up her stomach, made it hard to believe any school would let someone dress like that.

And, of course, she didn't see a cute schoolgirl alone. The old British ship could see a destroyer...a destroyer of the _Fubuki_ -class, the first truly modern design of their type.

"Hello Fubuki," the Admiral's smile changed to a more warm one, as he looked down on the girl.

 _First of her class? Like me?_

"Hello sir!" the little destroyer snapped to attention, though her green eyes wandered over to Indestructible, instead of focusing on her Admiral.

"I have a favor to ask you, Fubuki."

"Hai?"

The older man nodded at his companion, who had all of the destroyer's attention, "Can you show Indestructible here around the base? Make her feel at home, while I find the time to contact the British."

"Hai!" Fubuki nodded eagerly, any attempts to be 'military precise' ruined by the look of awe on her face.

All the Admiral did was chuckle softly, before turning back to Indestructible, "Fubuki's a good girl, she won't lead you astray. If you need me, just ask. Hopefully I can get a meeting with London set up for tomorrow or the day after."

"That fast?"

"Modern technology," the Admiral just smiled knowingly, before nodding at both girls and setting off to do his work.

Leaving Indestructible alone with a little girl destroyer, who seemed quite enamored with her. Tugging on the long sleeves of her Royal Navy blouse, the old battleship looked down on the smaller ship. Fubuki grinned back up at her, though there was certainly a hint of nervousness on her face. Nervousness that might well be reflected on her own face. She...still wasn't sure how to use this new body, and being this close to one of the more powerful destroyers out there...wasn't exactly comforting. If this were Vampire, maybe, but this was a Japanese girl.

Even so, she couldn't let _that_ get to her.

If she was ever going to work with the Japanese...if they really were allies now...she _had_ to trust them on some level. If that meant working with an awed little destroyer...well, there were worse ways to gain trust. Even if she still didn't feel they _deserved_ that trust, deep down in her soul.

"Can you show me around?" Indestructible asked, making Fubuki blink and shake herself from her staring.

"Of course!" the excitable little girl replied, "Where do you want to go first, Indestructible-san?"

That _would_ have been a valid question, if a finely tuned...instinct? Clock? Hadn't gone off inside the battleship. She knew where she needed to go, at that very moment.

"A kitchen."

"...okay?" Fubuki nodded slowly, before grinning, "I'll take you to Mamiya's then. She has the best food on the base."

Indestructible nodded herself, smoothing down her own shorter-than-expected skirt, as she moved to follow the destroyer.

* * *

"Thank you," the old battleship nodded politely, as a woman in a long dress- Mamiya, a resupply ship -served her special order.

"It's my pleasure," Mamiya smiled widely, before tapping her chin, "Though I don't often have to make black tea. I think the only girl who ever orders it is Hiei actually. Then again, we don't have many British girls come through here. I hope you enjoy it!"

Indestructible smiled softly, as the other woman wandered off. The smile was brittle however. For fairly obvious reasons, as she lifted the teacup to her mouth, taking a small sip of the surprisingly well-prepared tea.

 _Hiei...my sister. She drinks proper English tea? Is that because...because of me?_

Setting her cup down, the British battlecruiser-turned-battleship felt wetness on her cheeks. Raising a shaking hand, she rubbed at the wetness, only now realizing she was _crying_. She had...felt the _urge_ to cry before. When Invincible fell. When Hood was sunk. Both of those times, her _soul_ had cried out in pain. But physical tears...no, she could say she had never felt that before. It was...not a pleasant feeling. Especially not in her current company. While Mamiya's place was empty for the moment, aside from the resupply ship, Indestructible and Fubuki...the latter was looking at her with a worried expression.

It might have been endearing, if the older ship were in any condition to feel that way.

"Are you okay Indestructible-san?" Fubuki asked worriedly, setting her ice-cream down.

"I..." Indestructible shook her head, brown hair flowing around with the movement, "No, not particularly. Do you know who I am, Fubuki?"

"Umm..." the destroyer frowned cutely, clearly deep in thought, "I know I recognize your name. You..."

Green eyes widened, as Fubuki's mouth dropped open.

Indestructible just smiled weakly, "You do know."

"Ha...hai! You're Hiei-san's older sister!" the brown-haired girl shook her head rapidly, clearly in shock, "Is...is that why you're crying?"

The smile fell from the battleship's face, as she looked at her reflection in her tea. Brown eyes, slightly red-rimmed, stared back at her. A very _Japanese_ face stared back at her, framed by dark hair barely held back by her Royal Navy cap. It was going to be a very long time, before she truly got used to this, wasn't it?

"Yes," she answered the destroyer, sighing softly, "Hearing her name...I don't know how to describe it."

Fubuki, recovering somewhat, put a hand on Indestructible's. A warm smile was on her face, as she looked up at the battleship. Who, for her part, felt more confused than anything.

"I know what you mean," the younger girl spoke simply, "I'm the first of my class too, you know. You've never even met Hiei-san, have you?"

"N...no, I haven't. I had my sisters in Britain, Irresistible and Implacable. But I never met my...my other sisters."

"And that's why it was so hard to hear her name?"

That...that was part of it. Fubuki was surprisingly insightful, all things being equal. Her appearance didn't lend much to the idea she _could_ be insightful. Short ponytail, ill-fitting uniform, young age...but, then again, that could be misleading. Indestructible knew that Fubuki was _far_ older than she looked, just as she herself was. Not to mention, she was the first of her class. Arguably the mother of the more modern Japanese destroyers, at the very least. And...well, she had probably been _human_ far longer than Indestructible had been.

There was also the fact the Admiral had specifically picked her out. It had apparently been with good reason, not just because Fubuki was convenient. All that being said, she wasn't entirely correct though. It wasn't just hearing Hiei's name that had made her elder sister...so sad.

As such, Indestructible looked down at her tea again, "Part of it. I may be a British battleship through and through, but I know enough about Japan to know you all don't drink proper tea. That Hiei _does_...means she's doing it because of _me_. I know that much."

"Because of you?" Fubuki tilted her head in obvious confusion.

"Because of me," Indestructible nodded, "I'm British and had I...come here, I would have taught my sisters about that. I'm guessing that Hiei drinks our tea, because she knows _I_ do..."

"And she wants to be like you."

The battleship nodded again, once more surprised by how insightful Fubuki could be, "Yes. You're surprisingly good at this."

Fubuki blushed crimson, as she looked down at her ice cream, "Heh heh...not really. It's just, when you look at my sisters they _all_ mimic me, people are getting us confused all the time. Well, other than Murakumo anyway...she's nothing like the rest of us!"

To be totally fair, _her_ sisters...her _British_ sisters...mimicked her as well. Indestructible could see the _Fubuki_ sisters doing the same thing, though enough to get mixed up with their first of class...that was a bit harder to believe. Then again, what did she know. She was still new to this whole 'human' thing.

So, all the woman did was nod again, before returning to sipping her tea. That had been an illuminating conversation, but the last thing she wanted to think about were her sisters. Her sisters on either side of the world, for that matter. She didn't know how meeting Hiei and the others would go...and she had no idea what had happened to Irresistible and Implacable. Had they survived the war? Had they returned like she had? If she could believe _anything_ that the Admiral said, then her adopted homeland had been bringing back their warships as well.

Were her sisters...were they among them? Indestructible would be lying, if she said she didn't want to meet her dear sisters again. Apologize to them, for failing her duty to protect them. Now that she wasn't tired and glad to rest, she felt a gnawing guilt in her stomach, at sinking before her sisters. She had failed in her duty to keep them safe by doing so, and that was eating away at her.

 _It seems like everything is. Returning like this is_ sooo _complicated! I don't bloody know how to feel._

"How do you live like this..." she sighed softly, setting her empty cup down.

"Huh?" Fubuki blinked her green eyes, looking confused by the question.

Indestructible just smiled and shook her head, "Nothing. Do you know where I'll be staying while your Admiral contacts London?"

The destroyer frowned cutely, "Actually, I don't know Indestructible-san. The battleship dorms are full...well, they will be whenever Hiei-san and her sisters get back from patrol with..."

Fubuki trailed off at that, before a shy look crossed her face.

"Actually, they're patrolling with Yuudachi-chan, who normally stays with me. I don't think she would mind if you stayed in our room. If you want to of course!"

The way that the destroyer girl waved her hands, a blush crossing her face, was...extremely cute. Indestructible smiled despite herself, resisting the urge to hug the flustered girl. It reminded her of when her sisters were younger. Always so easily embarrassed and cute about it.

That being said...

"Thank you, Fubuki," the old battleship nodded slightly, "I think I will take you up on that offer."

She was still uncomfortable in this situation at best. But Fubuki had been nothing but kind, and surprisingly insightful on her issues. Indestructible was thankful for that. Though...she would be lying if she said part of it wasn't because she didn't want to stay in the battleship dorms. Even if there were a room available, she didn't know if she was _ready_ to talk to her sisters. That they were off the base, was something of a relief. Indestructible wanted to...to get used to all of this. Being in Japan. Being _human_. She needed time, before jumping into talking to girls she had dearly wanted to meet...

But had no idea _how_ to talk to.

"It's no problem Indestructible-san!" Fubuki just smiled at her, jumping to her feet, "Do you want to go now?"

"Yes," Indestructible nodded again.

"Right. Follow me!"

And with that, the little destroyer set off like she wasn't in a human body. Indestructible couldn't, despite everything, hold back a giggle at the sight. If Fubuki heard that though, she didn't give any sign of it. Except for maybe a slight skip in her step.

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"I know it's not much..."

"It's fine, Fubuki. Compared to my old hull, this is quite fancy actually."

A small giggle came from the destroyer, as she moved to sit on her bed. For her part, Indestructible looked around at the room. The destroyer-girl was right about one thing, and that was that this room wasn't the largest in the world by any definition. But, that didn't really matter. She could sleep in the hallway, if it came down to it. So long as she wasn't in a prison cell, something that the battleship still half-expected considering her history with the Japanese, she could make anything work. Frankly, this room may have been small, but at least it looked comfortable.

A pair of beds, some small dressers and a larger desk...it was basically, an average room on almost every level.

Well, aside from the various personal objects scattered around. But Indestructible was a proper British lady, and would not go digging through such things. That was impolite, especially as a guest- even if she didn't necessarily trust her hostess.

"Umm..." the destroyer spoke up softly, "Are you...fine with a futon? I would let you use Yuudachi-chan's bed, but she can get kinda scary when someone messes with her things..."

Indestructible just waved a hand, "I'm alright with that, yes."

"Okay!" Fubuki grinned at her, turning to lay down on her own bed, "Good night, Indestructible-san."

"Goodnight."

With that, the destroyer girl turned on her side, soon to fall fast asleep.

Indestructible envied her that. For she simply lay on her futon, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep would not come easily to her, not at all. For all that her thoughts on Fubuki acting like her sisters had amused her, it also brought up old memories. Of happier days, when her and her sisters sailed together. When Invincible or Hood were still alive. Happier days...

 _"Come on sis! Can your crew keep up?"_

 _"Don't be hard on her Irresistible, she is older."_

 _Indestructible would have glared at Hood, if she could, "Old?"_

 _"Well, it's the truth."_

 _"No tea time for you today!"_

 _"I can't even drink tea!"_

 _"It's the principle."_

 _If nothing else, the giggles from her younger sister had Indestructible feeling better about the situation. Sure, Hood had just called her old. But hey, if her sister was happy, then it didn't matter. The younger battlecruiser- still a cruiser, not a fast battleship like she herself now was -had a mischievous streak. But if it were harmless fun, there wasn't anything wrong with it. And she could give as good as she got!_

 _"You're just jealous that you needed a refit to keep up with me," Hood continued, sending the distinct impression of a smug look._

 _"Speed isn't everything dear," Indestructible replied, "My crew can outshoot yours any day."_

 _"My guns are better."_

 _The older ship snorted, "No, they aren't. Bigger isn't better either."_

 _Implacable, trailing in the formation, sighed softly, "You two always act like this..."_

 _"It's fun!" Indestructible replied, allowing herself a pouty tone._

 _"What she said," Hood agreed, "In any case, I do still acknowledge I have a lot to learn."_

 _"That you do. Can't have you losing in your first combat mission..."_

 _Losing in your first combat mission..._

* * *

 **AN: As noted on SV...**

 **Balancing personalities here is...interesting. Indestructible _is_ Kongou, deep down. But she's not in a situation where the more (in)famous bits- sans being Admiral-sexual, which won't happen -can come through. And Fubuki...the way I'm looking at it, she's been around for _months_ now, and has the resulting experience. Remember, it's been two months alone since the last summoning before Indestructible. That's plenty of time for Fubuki- who has her sisters -to mature somewhat.**

 **Basically, one of the few things the anime did _right_ (IMO) was some of the character relationships. Kongou and Fubuki, most certainly. I was trying to call back to that here, but with Fubuki the one who's experienced in being a kanmusu, and on top of that, one who has the experiences needed to work with what was eating up our resident British battleship.**


	3. Chapter 2: New Experiences

**AN: Update time.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: New Experiences**

"You should be connected with London in a few minutes sir."

"Thank you."

Admiral Takeda sighed softly, tugging on the brim of his cap. It hadn't exactly been his intention to contact the British without the reason for this message being present...but Indestructible was apparently asleep in Fubuki's room. He knew the way most girls felt after their summoning very well by now...she needed that sleep. And in any event, it would be easier to talk to the British Admiralty alone as well. There was less risk of Indestructible doing something to make the proceedings more difficult. Not that he thought that would happen...but Takeda had not reached his position by not being cautious on occasion.

At this point, it was better to be safe than sorry.

 _I feel like I'm walking on a minefield with her, even more than some of our kanmusu. One wrong move, and any trust we've built will be gone. And she has every reason to be that distrustful._

He couldn't blame the Imperial government for what they had done. _Kongou_ was delayed to the point where it had become more economical to just sell her to the British and replace her with the hull order that would eventually become _Kirishima_. The _Hiei_ -class had served every bit as well as a hypothetical _Kongou_ -class would have. And that should have been the end of it. But with the Abyssals...with the kanmusu...nothing was ever that simple. Now, he had to face a girl who had every right to feel betrayed and abandoned by her country. Or, rather, what might have been her country...by all indications, Indestructible was even more British than Ro-500 was 'Japanese'.

It was not an envious situation to be placed in.

"We're connected now."

Takeda nodded slightly, as the large screen in front of him changed from its blank state. Instead, it now showed an office much like his own, albeit furnished differently. And just as the office was similar-yet-different, so to was the man sitting in it. His uniform clearly marked him as the same rank, much as Takeda would have expected.

After all, he _did_ know this man.

"Hello, Admiral Takeda," the other man said.

"Good to see you, Admiral Smith," Takeda replied.

The other man nodded, before a weary smile crossed his face, "Now that formalities are out of the way, how are you, Daiki?"

"Well enough Blake. However, this isn't a social call."

"With how late it is there, I doubted it was," Smith shook his head, "So, what is it this time? You know I can't send any of my girls to help you."

Takeda sighed, "That isn't what I'm calling for. Are you alone?"

Smith raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder. A single girl stepped into view, dressed in an old-fashioned Royal Navy uniform. Where Indestructible wore a modern-ish World War II uniform, this girl wore one more at place at Trafalgar. Her long blonde hair was tied back, covered by an officer's hat, also much more at place in the Age of Sail. Understandably...Takeda more than recognized the girl. He was quite familiar with her, actually. Anyone who knew the Royal Navy kanmusu corps was.

HMS Hood was just as famous now, if not more so, than she had always been.

"Hood here is the only person with me," Smith replied, "So, is something wrong enough that you don't want anyone but us to know?"

"Not...wrong," Takeda replied, "Difficult, would be the word I chose. Have you summoned every kanmusu from the Second War era?"

The Admiral shook his head, "Of course not, we may not have been the Americans, but we had a lot of warships at the time. We've summoned most of our battleships though...the most prominent one still missing is Indestructible. Her sisters, or at least Irresistible, are constantly begging me to summon her."

"I...see."

"You're not telling me something," the British man narrowed his eyes, "Why are you asking me that question Daiki?"

"We made an attempt to do what the Americans did with Hawaii, and summon Tosa or the original Amagi," the other Admiral replied softly, "That didn't work as planned."

And wasn't that an understatement. Summoning an angry and betrayed feeling Tosa or a crippled Amagi might have been better than what had happened. At least in that case, they would have been unequivocally been Japanese. There would have been none of the issues they were currently dealing with. Issues that he was loathe to bring up, with such a good friend as Admiral Smith. Especially, considering Takeda himself believed that they had long ago forfeited any right to say what Indestructible should do. Japan had given that right away, when they abandoned _Kongou_.

Convincing his government of that...

"Did your summoning fail?" Smith broke back into the conversation, "I can't imagine that would be enough reason to call me. Especially since you know we can't spare any girls to help you."

"The summoning was a success...but it wasn't Tosa nor Amagi we summoned," Takeda brought up a picture of who they _had_ summoned.

Smith's eyes widened noticeably, though it was nothing on Hood. The normally stoic battlecruiser held a hand to her mouth, a shocked little gasp escaping her lips. Her hand was even trembling slightly, green eyes staring at the picture.

"As you can see, it didn't fail. However..."

It would not be Smith who spoke this time. Hood, shaking her head slightly, looked almost in shock.

"She looks just like Irresistible and Implacable..."

"Other than her Japanese features," Smith nodded, turning his full attention on Takeda, "By this, I have to assume you summoned Indestructible?"

The Japanese man sighed softly, "Yes. We're still not sure how. It was certainly not my intention, and I personally oversaw the summoning. How we summoned her instead of Tosa is a mystery."

Before either man could continue discussing the subject, Hood spun on her heel and started marching to the door that Takeda could see behind his old friend's chair. The man in question turned around, watching his fleet commander go. There was a resigned slump to his shoulders, as Hood stopped only long enough to look back over her shoulder. There was a slight wetness to her stoic eyes, as she looked back one more time at the picture of Indestructible.

"I'm going to let her sisters know."

And before Takeda could say anything about attempting to keep this situation 'under wraps' as the Americans would say, the battlecruiser was gone. For his part, Smith sighed and shook his head fondly, before turning back to the screen.

"I expected that," he said, "Honestly, I'm amazed she's as calm as she is. The moment I realized who you had summoned...well, Hood has a special place in her heart for that girl, moreso than even Bismarck."

"And you won't stop her Blake?" Takeda resigned himself to hearing an expected answer.

He got it, Smith snorting softly, "Believe me Daiki, Hood's bravery is matched only by her stubbornness. And as their names can imply, those two girls she's going to talk to are even _worse_. I couldn't keep this a secret from them even if I wanted to."

Here, the man leveled a serious stare on his friend, before continuing to speak in a harder tone.

"And the fact you don't want them to know doesn't ring right with me. What are you hiding Daiki?"

And there it was, the problem that Takeda had been loathe to discuss.

"Our government is desperate Blake," the Japanese man began, "We barely have enough kanmusu to properly cover our shores and Okinawa. Securing our supply lanes is stretching our resources thin, and America continues to refuse to send reinforcements. We're running ourselves dry."

"And I wish _we_ could help with that," Smith replied, narrowing his eyes slightly, "That being said, you had better not be about to say what I think you are."

Takeda sighed, "Our government wants to keep Indestructible here."

"Never going to happen."

Smith's voice was hard, the Admiral Glare leveled on his old friend. Takeda just sighed again, unable to blame him for that reaction in the slightest. It was much the same as his own, when the Diet had told him to keep Indestructible in Japan. He knew, better than anyone, how that idea would go over. How it would go over on _both_ sides of the world, at that. He knew because it was how _he_ would feel. How he _did_ feel. Indestructible shouldn't be forced to stay in Japan. Forcing her to stay in a nation she already felt betrayed her...

How would _anyone_ react to that? She didn't need to be put through that. It wasn't just his fondness for all the kanmusu talking there either. If anyone deserved to just go home, it was that battleship. Irregardless of the Hiei sisters being in Japan, Indestructible belonged in Britain.

"I know," as such, Takeda sent a weary look at his British friend, "I know."

"I'm not sure you do, Daiki," Smith countered, "What if Yukikaze had been summoned by Taiwan? Or Hibiki by Russia? If they tried to keep those girls because of their own lacking numbers, your government would rightfully be raising bloody hell over it. So what gives them the right to keep Indestructible there? Need I remind you..."

"That Japan abandoned her in the first place?" Takeda finished his friend's sentence, "You don't need to tell me that, old friend. I agree with you, on this and many other matters. Indestructible being kept here would be bad on many different levels. However, I can't tell the Diet what to do. It is very likely that our government will contact your Prime Minister..."

The British Admiral snorted softly, "Good luck with that. Even if the PM allowed it, which he won't, Indestructible wouldn't be there for long. If she is _anything_ like her sisters and Hood, she'll sail back here even if she has to fight her way out. Not to mention, I can guarantee you that her sisters will be heading to Japan in much the same way. And nothing you can do will keep them from bringing her back."

Now, Takeda might have joked about Smith being unable to keep his kanmusu under control, in better circumstances. At the moment, he knew that his friend wasn't joking in the slightest though. In all likelihood, he would _order_ the Indestructible sisters to go to Japan and recover their lost sibling.

"Believe me old friend," the Japanese Admiral finally spoke again, voice tired, "I will do everything in my power to ensure she can return. If you need to _send_ her sisters here, I won't do anything to stop it. Perhaps meeting her sisters will make it easier on Hiei in any case."

"We'll see. I'll call you again tomorrow, Daiki. For now, I need to find Hood and let the PM know," Smith sent a small smile at his old friend, "And thank you, at least for letting me know about this. We were worried about Indestructible...it's good to know she did come back, even if in the wrong country."

With that said, the screen went blank again, leaving a tired old Admiral to pull himself to his feet. He would talk to Indestructible tomorrow as well, and make sure she knew he was doing everything he could to get her home. At least Hiei and her sisters were on patrol for the moment. He could only imagine how much damage they would do. Unintentional damage, perhaps, as those girls didn't have a mean bone in their bodies.

But they didn't need to meet their sister, not until she had adjusted to her situation.

* * *

"Are you awake, Indestructible-san?"

"Yes."

Shifting slightly, the old battleship lifted her head from the futon she had spent the night in. Tired rings were around her eyes, the lack of proper sleep rather evident from that. Perhaps noticing that, Fubuki smiled sadly. The destroyer girl was already in her uniform, as she sat down next to her much larger counterpart. Her sad smile faded into an understanding look, as she looked at the other girl. Who, for her part, just sighed softly.

"Problems sleeping?" Fubuki asked.

The destroyer leaned back, looking at the ceiling, "Well, I hope you have a better day today. Do you want to come to the training with me?"

Indestructible turned her head, "Training?"

"Hai!" the younger girl grinned, "When we're on base, most of us keep training. There's always more to learn. You've never even been in the water, have you?"

"No, I haven't," Indestructible frowned, "How exactly do you...fight like this?"

"Umm...it's kind of hard to explain. We have rigging, that's like our old hulls. When we summon it, we're more like ships than girls. It's easier to use on the water though. You should be able to do it on instinct even!"

The battleship blinked, before looking down on her new body. Her hands clenched in her thin blanket, clutching at it. It felt odd enough being able to do that. The idea of summoning something like her old hull...how did that even work? She couldn't imagine fighting in this body, that seemed...impossible. Granted, just _being_ like this felt impossible, and Fubuki seemed confident enough. It still boggled the mind though, the idea that she could use something like her old hull in this body, and fight like that.

And, of course, there was another issue to be had...

 _I don't feel comfortable, being around them with weapons. I don't trust these girls, or their leadership._

To her, despite Fubuki and the Admiral's actions, Japan was still an enemy. The idea of sailing- somehow -in close proximity to who knew how many warships with their weapons armed...didn't exactly appeal to her, overly much. For all that the Admiral said he would punish anyone who so much as looked at her wrong, it didn't make her any happier at the idea.

"...do you not want to train with us?"

Unfortunately, Fubuki's pouty face was quite effective. Large green eyes stared up at her imploringly, her lip quivering slightly. Indestructible's 'older sister' instincts reared their head in full force, as she resisted the urge to hug the girl.

"Fine, I'll train with you."

"Thank you!" Fubuki had no such restraints, throwing her arms around the battleship, "It's been a long time since we've had someone new to train with!"

There was something in the girl's tone, that had the battleship raising a curious eyebrow, "What do you mean, Fubuki?"

"Um...it's a long story, Indestructible-san..." the girl trailed off, before waving her hands in front of her when she saw the look on the battleship's face, "But I can explain! We...haven't had any new girls in a long time. It's been a couple months since Shimikaze-chan arrived, and you're the first since then. It's...been hard on us."

Indestructible frowned, noting the sad tone in her...guide's...voice, "I know your navy wasn't the largest, but surely you still have..."

"We do," Fubuki replied with a sad smile, "But you're the first new girl in a long time still. I'm sorry...it's just a lot to think about. Can we go to the training?"

Clearly, she was uncomfortable talking about that. Indestructible...couldn't say she understood. But she _did_ understand having uncomfortable things she didn't want to talk about. She had her own, so she wasn't going to push Fubuki. She was still very uncomfortable going to this training, but if nothing else, it could be a chance to get some information.

 _I still don't know what to believe, or if Japan's our_ ally _. Maybe I can find out how their girls train, and use that if we have to fight?_

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but as she had taught Hood, so long ago...always be prepared!

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"I was _so_ not bloody prepared for this..."

Indestructible looked out at the harbor, a thoroughly bemused expression on her face. A group of little destroyer girls- four of them looked even _younger_ than Fubuki! -were practically surfing across the waves, giggling at each other as they did so. A pair of light cruisers were trying to coral them, but it was a losing battle. Even she could see that, and she wasn't exactly experienced in dealing with girls like this.

"Close formation!" the shorter haired cruiser called out, water spray flinging up near her short orange skirt, "You can do better than this girls!"

"Hai!" Fubuki at least was taking it seriously, doing her utmost to stay in some semblance of formation with a younger-looking white haired destroyer.

"Don't be so hard on them Sendai," for her part, the longer haired cruiser spoke softly, looking at her...sister?

"We're here to train them Jintsuu," Sendai shot back, a fierce grin on her young face, "Ya know?"

Jintsuu sighed softly, "I know."

"Speaking of training...you here for that too?" at that, Sendai turned to flash her grin at Indestructible.

Who blinked, and nodded shortly, "Yes."

"Great! Get in the water then, and I'll show you how to ni..."

"It isn't a night battle, Onee-san."

Sendai grumbled at her sister, before turning back to running herd on the destroyers. Jintsuu sent an apologetic look at Indestructible, before sailing over to where the battleship stood on the pier. The long-haired cruiser smiled up at her older counterpart, holding a dainty hand out for the British girl to take. Indestructible hesitantly reached out, on edge for any potential tricks. There wouldn't be any however, as the light cruiser gently pulled her much heavier counterpart into the water.

Indestructible half-expected to sink like a rock, once she was in the water, no matter what the other girls were doing. However, the moment her feet- and her shoes, perhaps more importantly -touched the water, she started to float on the surface. Wide brown eyes looked down, as she experimentally kicked her foot. Water sprayed into the air like her drive shaft had pushed her old propeller, making her flinch back and a soft, almost silent, giggle come from Jintsuu.

Kind eyes turned onto the confused battleship, as the cruiser let go of her hand, pulling away slightly.

"Is this your first time in the water...?" the unasked question was obvious, in hindsight.

"HMS Indestructible," the battleship answered, looking down at her feet instead of at the other girl, "I...just came back yesterday. I've never been in the water like this before."

Jintsuu just smiled again, "It's like that for everyone. Follow me, I can show you how to sail. Do you know how to summon your rigging, Indestructible-san?"

"No..." the British girl replied, before looking down at her hands, "Fubuki said it would be instinctual..."

"Indestructible-san?" the cruiser noted that the other girl hadn't been talking to her.

And wasn't looking up at the question, for that matter. Indestructible took a deep breath, shutting her eyes and trying to avoid focusing on her situation...floating in a way she shouldn't. Instead, she focused on her old hull. The feeling of steel and wood, swaying in the waves underneath her. The bustle of men working their posts, training her weapons on targets. Focused on the memories of Jutland, of dueling SMS _Seydlitz_ after Invincible sank. On the memories of her mighty guns firing at distant...

"You did it!" Jintsuu's soft voice broke in, as Indestructible felt...

Well, felt the sudden weight of her old hull on her back. Turning her head, the battleships brown eyes widened, as her equally brown hair moved out of the way. Hanging from her back, was a curved piece of wood and metal, in the form of her old hull. The old paint scheme was even there, as she ran a hand along a miniature version of her old A-turret. Fourteen inch guns shined dully in the sunlight, as her shocked gaze reflected off the water.

Seeing the 'rigging' on the other girls was one thing. Seeing and _feeling_ her old hull...now that was another thing entirely.

"I did," she finally whispered, shaking her head slightly, "Right, how exactly do I use this...Jintsuu?"

The cruiser just smiled demurely, "Follow me, Indestructible-san. The targets here are set up for the destroyers...we need you on the battleship range."

Indestructible nodded, pushing her...boilers...to follow along with the light cruiser. All her attention was on moving however, so she failed to notice a blonde destroyer joining the others, curious red eyes following along with her.

* * *

"Yuudachi-chan!"

"Fubuki-chan! Who was that battleship, poi?"

The blonde destroyer, returned from her patrol, looked in the direction she had seen a brown haired kanmusu go. She hadn't recognized the girl, like, she was _new_. Very new, since Yuudachi thought she had already known all the battleships. She was just with the Hiei sisters after all!

"That was Indestructible-san," Fubuki answered with a happy smile, "I've been showing her around, since the Admiral asked me to! She's really nice, but a bit overwhelmed by everything. I'm glad Jintsuu-san is showing her how to use her rigging."

Yuudachi's eyebrow went up, a questioning look in her red eyes, "Indestructible? Isn't that, like, a British name?"

"Yes," her friend nodded, "Admiral said he wasn't sure how she was summoned here, but he's trying to get her home. I think it's because she's Hiei-san's older sister."

"Hiei-san's..." the taller destroyer blinked slowly, "I didn't know she had an onee-san, poi!"

On the other hand, if her older sister was British, that was probably why. Yuudachi wasn't like her friend, and didn't really look at other navies. If she had, she might have known something this important! And if Indestructible-san had just now been summoned, that meant she probably hadn't met her sisters yet. They might not even know she was here! Yuudachi wondered how they would feel, when they did find out. She knew if Shiratsuyu or Shigure had come back and she hadn't been told at the time, she would have been _soooo_ mad.

Like, seriously. If Indestructible was their sister, they should know she was here!

"I don't think she likes thinking about it," Fubuki spoke softly, as the two girls maneuvered around practice rounds from Sendai and Hibiki, "she seems really sad whenever Hiei-san was mentioned."

"But, they're her sisters, poi!" Yuudachi protested, the idea of being sad at having her sisters rather...hard to believe.

"Yeah, but she has her _British_ sisters too. I don't think Indestructible-san knows how to act around Hiei-san and the others."

A frown crossed Yuudachi's face, "But wouldn't she want to meet them?"

"I think she does, but doesn't know how to talk to them," her friend sighed softly, "I'm so sorry for her...I can't imagine what Indestructible-san feels like."

 _Neither can I, poi! But I wouldn't want my sisters to not know I was here. I need to go back to Hiei-san, and let her know!_

Decision made, Yuudachi let a cocky grin cross her face, as she jumped in front of Fubuki. She wouldn't let her friend do better at training than her, even considering the situation!

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

It was a tired destroyer who left the training area, sometime later that day. Waving goodbye at Fubuki, who ran towards the battleship training grounds, Yuudachi squared her shoulders and marched off in the direction of the battleship _dorms_. Hiei-san had said she and her sisters would be there, if she needed anything. Something about wanting to rest after a long patrol. It made them easier to find at least, and right now, she needed that. Because Yuudachi wanted them to know about their sister, for sure! They needed to know, since they might not have ever met their sister, if what Fubuki had said was true, poi!

And she couldn't imagine what that felt like, having always had her sisters with her, until she had sunk at the Solomon Islands during the war. And even after the war, her elder sisters like Shigure had always been there when she needed them. So, yeah, Yuudachi couldn't imagine what Hiei and her sisters felt like, not having Indestructible around.

It was why she was heading here, even though Fubuki had said it was better to wait.

 _I don't want to wait, poi. Hiei-san needs to know her sister is here!_

"Hey Yuudachi-chan," Mutsu was the first battleship to notice her though, as she sat outside the building, reading some book.

"Hey Mutsu-san!" Yuudachi waved at the larger woman, "Have you seen Hiei-san?"

The battleship tapped her chin, a sly grin on her face, "Why are you asking?"

"Mutsu-saaaannn..." the blonde pouted, used to the elder girls sense of humor by now.

A giggle answered that, as Mutsu put her book down, "Sorry, sorry. If you're looking for her, Hiei is with her sisters in their dorm. Something about planning a new meal."

Yuudachi couldn't help a shiver, "Oh no, poi..."

Even the Nightmare of Solomon shuddered at the idea of Hiei-san's cooking.

"Yup," Mutsu just smiled again, with a rueful headshake for good measure, "Good luck, Yuudachi-chan!"

Waving at the battleship, Yuudachi squared her shoulders, and marched into the dorm. She could survive this, and she needed to let the older girls know their sister was here! Looking at it that way, she could go through any number of Hiei's dishes. This was too important to wait or put off, because of a little worry about food! Right, with that in mind, it was a lot easier to focus. Focus, as the blonde little destroyer walked past the various battleship dorms, intent on one in particular. The one claimed by the Hiei sisters, who tended to sleep together, despite the fact they could have double rooms instead.

Though, there were only three of them...they might not want one of them to be alone or with someone else. Regardless of the reason, it wasn't that hard and didn't take that long to reach their room. There was the sound of the familiar voices behind the door, getting a smile from the destroyer girl. She had enjoyed her patrol with the Hiei sisters, and it was nice to see them again so soon! No matter the reason.

"Hiei-san?" Yuudachi knocked on the door.

"Come on in Yuudachi-chan!" the familiar voice called out, as a softly smiling Haruna opened the door for her sister.

"Nice to see you again," Haruna's smile widened ever so slightly, as she moved aside to let the destroyer in.

Yuudachi just grinned, "Nice to see you too Haruna-san!"

"So why are you here, Yuudachi-chan?" Hiei broke in, standing over a suspiciously smoking pot.

"I met a new girl at training today," the destroyer answered, "A British girl, poi!"

The lead battleship of her class turned at that, food forgotten, "A British girl? Who was it?"

"Indestructible-san!"

Perhaps because of the normal high-energy of these girls, even Haruna, the sudden _silence_ was almost spooky. Yuudachi awkwardly looked at the Hiei sisters, who all wore the same identical look of shock on their faces. A look that only lasted as long as it took their eldest sister to process what had been said, before she let out a rather high-pitched noise, and bolted for the door, her sisters quick to follow.

"Onee-sama!"

Leaving behind a confused Yuudachi, who let out a plaintive, "Poi?"

* * *

 **AN: Honestly, this is one of the funnest stories I have to write at the moment.**


	4. Chapter 3: Sisters

**AN: And another chapter transferred over.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Sisters**

Indestructible sighed softly, as she dragged herself out of the water. Jintsuu sent her an understanding smile, as the light cruiser went off to join her sister, while the battleship tried to pull herself up. She had never felt this _tired_ before. Her stomach was growling at her as well, feeling like an empty fuel bunker. Perhaps it _was_ an empty fuel bunker at that. She still didn't know half of what was going on with this body, and doubted that anyone else did either. Nor did she really care if anyone knew, in all honesty. She could figure out the particulars of this later. For now, she wanted nothing more than to be back on solid ground, some food in her stomach, and some _rest_. Who knew that training could be so tiring...

It certainly gave her a new appreciation for her old crew.

"Are you okay Indestructible-san?" Fubuki appeared at the dock, slightly out of breath as she looked down on the battleship.

"Yes," the British girl answered, "Just exhausted. This training is..."

The destroyer smiled, as she held out a hand, "Yeah, the first time in the water is like that. You just need some food!"

"I wouldn't say no."

As she was pulled up by the smaller girl, Indestructible idly wondered when she had become so comfortable with her. By all rights, she should be extremely distrustful of the little girl pulling her hand, as she felt her rigging fade away. After all, she still didn't trust _Japan_ in the slightest. There was still the simmering pit of abandonment and anger deep in her heart, yet she felt none of that for Fubuki. If anything, as the smaller ship smiled up at her, she felt like the destroyer was a surrogate sister. It was...a nice feeling, really. She didn't have _her_ sisters here, but at least there was someone around that she could relate to. After all...

 _Fubuki has always known what to say, in the short time I've known her. If...if that isn't worth a little trust, I don't bloody know what is._

"Let's head to Mamiya's then," Fubuki smiled again, as the two were once more on solid ground, "She can make enough for both of us!"

"...enough for both of us?"

Fubuki just giggled in response, as she set off for the restaurant. Leaving a confused Indestructible to trail along behind her.

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"Isn't this a bit..."

"Trust me, I've fed a lot of battleships."

"But..."

Mamiya just smiled softly, before moving off, leaving Indestructible to stare in shock at the _massive_ bowl of rice and meat in front of her. Fubuki's much smaller bowl looked positively quaint in comparison. She wasn't exactly familiar with Japanese cuisine, but something told her they didn't eat _this much_!

"Go ahead and eat, Indestructible-san!" Fubuki was just grinning cheekily, as she dug into her own food.

"I can't eat all of this!" the battleship protested, shocked at the very _idea_. She knew none of her old crew would eat this much.

Fubuki shook her head, amusement on her young face, "All battleships and aircraft carriers eat that much, Indestructible-san. You need to, or you won't be resupplied. I'm a destroyer, so I don't need as much. Look at Akagi-sempai!"

Turning her head in the direction that Fubuki had pointed, Indestructible felt her eyes widen even further, which felt almost impossible. Because if _her_ bowl was big, it was nothing on the one in front of another brown-haired girl. Said girl was happily munching on her meal, cheeks bulging as rice and meat alike vanished into her mouth. The girl in blue next to her shook her head, face a stoic mask under a side-ponytail, as she more demurely ate from just as big a bowl. Both of those bowls dwarfed her own, and made Fubuki look like she was barely eating. Was this what it was like to be a ship girl?

Instead of resupplying in ammunition and fuel, she just ate a truly _ludicrous_ amount of food?

Well, when in Rome...

Digging into her meal, Indestructible felt...great. Her weariness was slowly fading, as more and more of the mixed meal vanished into her stomach. It truly did feel like she was being resupplied. There wasn't the clink of steel on steel or the sound of oil flowing into her bunkers, but on the other hand, she still _felt_ the resupply. Her body felt like it was taking on the weight of a combat load, even though nothing outwardly changed.

 _This is...a new feeling._

Just like everything else had been, since she had ended up in this body.

"It's good, right?" Fubuki sent her a happy smile, when she saw the small smile on the battleship's face.

"Very," Indestructible nodded, thoughtful expression on her face as she ate, "I still don't quite understand how this works, but at least it's simple."

"Yup! All we need to do is eat proper food, and we're ready to go again."

It was useful, to be totally fai...where'd all her food go?

Fubuki giggled, "Already done, Indestructible-san?"

Well, she hadn't realized she'd been eating _that_ fast. Pushing her bowl aside, the battleship felt a flush crawl up her face. She was a proper British lady, not a glutton. She didn't even know _how_ she had eaten all that food already. She felt pleasantly full, and a bit sleepy now, but she was still feeling embarrassed nonetheless. Indestructible hadn't even realized she _could_ eat that fast.

At least her new...friend...seemed used to it.

If anything, the smile on Fubuki's face was comforting, as she said, "Don't worry, we all can eat that fast if we're hungry enough. It's perfectly normal!"

 _Maybe so, but I still feel as if I ate too fast..._

Embarrassment aside, the battleship, if anything, felt more sleepy than she had before eating. Maybe it was a sign to take it easy and rest after pushing herself during the training, maybe not. Either way, she felt the need to lay down and rest for awhile. If Fubuki noticed that or not was up for debate, but the little destroyer finished her own meal and hopped to her feet.

"Come on, let's get back to the room to get your things. Yuudachi-chan is back, so I need to make sure with her if it's okay for you to stay in there until Admiral can get you your own room!"

 _My own room..._

Part of Indestructible didn't want a room to herself. Being alone in this type of situation...did not appeal to her. In the least.

* * *

"Oh, I thought Yuudachi-chan would be back by now," Fubuki pouted, as she walked into her room.

Indestructible trailed behind her, somewhat relieved in all honesty. She didn't want to talk to another girl, at least not yet. She'd much rather have Fubuki talk to the other destroyer, if only because she was still uncomfortable at best, around the Japanese ships. Fubuki was just about the only exception to that rule.

"Should she have been?" still, it was only polite to ask.

The destroyer sighed softly, looking over her shoulder, "Yes, she should have. We were going to talk about you staying here!"

"I don't mind moving, if I need to."

 _I really do...but polite. I'm her guest, not a prisoner despite the fact Japan_ should _be my enemy._

"No no," Fubuki planted her foot in the ground, a stubborn look crossing her face, "You're staying with me if possible, Indestructible-san! You're new here, and I want you to be comfortable! Like when I was new, and stayed with Akagi-sempai!"

The battleship held up her hands, a small smile crossing her face, "Understood."

Fubuki giggled, clearly amused by the reaction, before turning to gather up the futon and covers. Indestructible moved to the same, only for a loud noise in the hallway to get the attention of _both_ girls. The sound of feet stampeding down the hall at flank speed, uncaring of noise or anyone in the way, if the sound of angry girls was any indication. Turning her head, the British girl looked at the Japanese destroyer, an eyebrow going up in a silent question. Fubuki just shook her head, clearly just as confused as she herself was. Well, that hadn't been any help.

Turning her head again, Indestructible warily watched the door, hearing the stampede get ever closer. She sincerely hoped they weren't coming for this room.

"Oh no..."

That gulp had her worried though.

"Fubuki?"

"I recognize that now...it's..."

Before she could finish that statement, the door to the room was slammed open so hard it was a miracle it wasn't thrown off its hinges. Standing in the suddenly open doorway was a panting girl, short brown hair rustled by her charge. A pair of miniature radar antenna held said hair down, above a fair-skinned face with deep blue eyes. Eyes that were staring at Indestructible, shock written all over the face they belonged to.

Shock that only lasted long enough for the girl to get her breath back. Whereupon she promptly opened her mouth, and screamed out one single thing.

"Onee-sama!"

Indestructible couldn't do any more than blink, before a blur of short white dress and almost-kilt skirt had run right into her with all the force a thirty-six thousand ton battleship could manage. The British girl fell to the floor in tangle of limbs, the other girl on top of her. Groaning softly from the force of that impact, Indestructible would have pushed the girl off her, if she hadn't felt her uniform start growing wet. Wet, from exactly where the other girl's face was buried in her shoulder.

 _She's...crying? Wait, what does Onee..._

The battleship felt her face pale, as she realized exactly what that word meant. She may have been raised in Britain, but she still knew Japanese nonetheless. And with that knowledge, she knew who this girl had to be.

"Hiei?"

A nod against her shoulder was the only answer Indestructible got, along with a tightening of the arms wrapped securely around her midsection. Unsure of how to react, she carefully brought her own arms up, and wrapped them around the girl hugging her so very tightly. Hiei...her sister, the oldest of her siblings. The girl she had never met, despite both being more or less British- even if her sister had been constructed in Japan, a lot of her parts were still British. Indestructible hadn't wanted to meet Hiei so soon...unsure of how to act with her. But all she could do now was roll with the situation, and hug the crying girl to her. Sparing a moment to look up from the short brown hair burrowed into her shoulder, the British girl noted Fubuki smiling sadly, and two other girls standing in the doorway.

They wore similar outfits to Hiei, only with different skirts. The girl in red had long blue-grey hair and almost amber eyes, as she smiled at Indestructible. It was a watery smile though, tears clear in her eyes. The same could be said for the other girl, her short dark hair and glasses completely unlike Hiei and the girl in red. Glasses that she removed, to wipe at her eyes.

"It's so good to see you Onee-sama," the longer haired girl spoke softly, her voice barely carrying through the room, "Haruna is _so_ happy to see you."

 _Haruna...so that means Kirishima is the one with glasses?_

"I'm happy to see you three too," Indestructible replied.

And the thing was, she really meant that. It hadn't been her plan to meet them like this, but they were her _sisters_. Just as much as Irresistible and Implacable were. Even as she thought that though, Hiei finally let up on her death grip, pulling herself to her feet. Indestructible rose with her, soft smile directed at her estranged sister. Hiei returned the smile, though her own was a wide, excited grin. Even the tears on her face did little to diminish the radiance of that grin.

"Onee-sama, I didn't think we'd see you!" the short-haired girl excitedly spoke, her voice quite different from Haruna's quiet one.

"Well, I didn't expect to wake up in Japan..."

Hiei giggled at that, "I'm glad you did, now we're all together again!"

"Yes, like we were meant to be," Kirishima nodded, pushing her glasses up slightly, "All four sisters, united."

"It's so wonderful!" Haruna clapped her hands together, soft smile nearly as intense in its own way as Hiei's wide grin.

Indestructible felt like she was being left behind on something, "Actually, we aren't all here..."

"But you're here Onee-sama!" the oldest Hiei sister protested.

Kirishima nodded again, "Exactly. All four Kongou sisters are together, like we were supposed to be."

The British girl stiffened at that statement, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Her sisters were oblivious to this, as they continued to chatter along eagerly amongst each other. They didn't notice the impact they were having, in the slightest.

"We can finally sail together, like we were supposed to!" Hiei was still cheerfully bouncing up and down, "We don't have to be apart anymore!"

It was possible that Haruna was just as excited as her sisters, though she didn't show it as much, "We can work together, in our home. Haruna is so happy that Kongou onee-sama is here now! We're all in Japan, and we can sail together. We don't have to be apart anymore."

"All the Kongou sisters together," Kirishima repeated, though she tapped her chin, "But we need to get Kongou onee-sama our outfit."

"Oh, right," her elder sister nodded, "But we need to make a special skirt for our special Onee-sama!"

"And get her out of that uniform, and into our own outfits!"

Haruna smiled at her sister, "That's an excellent idea Hiei onee-san."

"Of course it is! What do you think onee-sam...a..."

The trailing off of Hiei's excited voice had Kirishima turning her head, a confused expression on her face, "What's wrong? Onee...sama...?"

Her sisters having finally noticed how she felt, Indestructible held in a deep breath, doing everything she could to keep her raging emotions under control. It wasn't easy by any definition though. Her cheerful sisters were bringing up things that felt like a knife to her heart, with each word. The simmering, cold, pit of abandonment and anger at the deepest part of her heart was barely being held back now. They couldn't possibly know how their words...how they so casually dismissed her uniform...were impacting their sister. How bringing up _that name_ made her feel like someone was hurting her, despite not a single hand being laid on her body.

She was Indestructible. She hadn't been _Kongou_ since...

Shaking her head, Indestructible turned fully to her sisters. Turned fully to them, and began speaking in perfectly calm, perfectly proper King's English.

"I'm not Kongou," her voice was cold, as she continued to speak, "I am HMS Indestructible. His Majesty's Ship, Indestructible. That is the name I've worn my whole life, and it is _who I am_."

"Onee-sama..." Haruna began, only for a cold glare from her sister to descend upon her. Needless to say, the soft-spoken girl's mouth clamped shut.

"I haven't been Kongou since I was abandoned, because my construction was _taking too long_. Do you have any idea what it feels like, to be tossed aside like that, just because it was _inconvenient?_ Because it wasn't quick to build me, I was thrown out, and left alone. Japan abandoned me, and I will _never_ consider it home ever again. Japan will never be my home, because England is my home. The British gave me a home and a Navy to serve proudly. They gave me an elder sister, Invincible, who I will never be able to live up to," Indestructible's voice didn't once change tone, even as her hands clenched even tighter at her side, "They gave me younger sisters, even though it would have been easier and cheaper to just scrap me on the ways. Japan abandoned me...Britain saved me."

Here, she shook her head, brown hair swaying as Indestructible moved a hand from her skirt, and pointed at her body, at her uniform.

"I wear this uniform proudly, as it is the uniform of the nation I gladly served and call home. I will _not_ change it, ever. This uniform is as much me as my flesh and blood."

When she finished saying that, Indestructible let her hands fall to her sides, thoroughly spent. It hurt her to see the looks on her sister's faces. To see Kirishima backing up in shock. Haruna holding a hand to her mouth, eyes wet with unshead tears. And of course Hiei...poor Hiei was the worst. Her tears were freely falling, and quite clearly not tears of joy like the ones that had wet her blouse were. These were the furthest thing possible from that...tears of sadness. It _pained_ Indestructible to do this to her sisters. But they needed to know. She _needed_ to get this through their heads.

She wasn't Kongou, and would never _be_ Kongou. They shouldn't expect everything to be happy go lucky and them all to be the Kongou sisters. She was Indestructible, first of the _Indestructible-class_ battleships. These girls were her sisters, but they weren't like Irresistible and Implacable. They were the _Hiei_ -class, and they needed to remember that.

No matter how much it hurt to put them through this.

"I...I..." Hiei's voice cracked, before the short-haired girl bolted from the room.

"Onee-san!" Haruna called after her, before running out the door herself. Kirishima was quick to follow, an unreadable expression in her eyes.

It was only once they had left the room, that Indestructible allowed herself to fall to her knees. The breaths she had been holding in came out in ragged gasps, as she felt her own tears begin to fall. The battleship wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them to her chest, as she stared listlessly at the floor in front of her. She didn't even make any move to wipe her eyes.

 _I...I'm so sorry. I..._

"...Indestructible-san?" Fubuki's soft voice finally spoke up, as the destroyer knelt down next to the much larger battleship, "Are you..."

All she got was a shake of the British girl's head, "No."

Fubuki sighed softly, before pulling herself back up, "Wait here. I'll...go talk to them."

Indestructible didn't reply, merely staring forward. The little destroyer sighed again, before running after the Hiei sisters. Leaving behind a broken girl, who felt the pain of what she had done to her sisters...no matter how much it had needed to be done.

 _I'm so sorry Hiei...Haruna...Kirishima..._

* * *

 **AN: This one had been...interesting...to write, I'm not going to lie. I normally don't consider myself that good at angst, not really. But it went over well on SV, so apparently I've improved in that regard.**

 **Hopefully everyone here enjoys it too!**


	5. Chapter 4: Sisters II

**AN: And another chapter transferred over. Sorry for not doing this sooner.  
**

* * *

 ** **Chapter 4: Sisters II** **

Fubuki's good mood, her joy at seeing Indestructible so happy and carefree, was shattered into so many pieces. She had become quick friends with the British girl, perhaps the only friend that she had in Japan. And it had been great! Fubuki hadn't made a new friend in a very long time, to say the least. But despite the happiness she had seen, and that Indestructible had probably been trying to hide, while the battleship was training...she had also seen the pain. Her new friend hid it well, but she was clearly uncomfortable and feeling hurt by being in Japan. Being summoned by the country that had abandoned her...the little destroyer could only imagine what that felt like. Her friend was stronger than her, to keep going despite that.

It was why she had told Yuudachi that Hiei couldn't meet her sister yet! Indestructible was clearly not ready. But she should have expected this, and was even now kicking herself over it. Yuudachi was never the best at keeping secrets. And now she had to pick up the pieces of the sister's relationship...somehow. Fubuki wasn't sure how she was going to do that though, not in the least. Her own sisters had never had issues like this, so she couldn't even rely on that experience. But she was the _only_ one who could fix this.

After all, there wasn't anyone else that Indestructible would trust to talk to her sisters.

"I'm worried about her," Fubuki bit her lip, "I don't like leaving her behind..."

In point of fact, she hated leaving Indestructible behind with the shape the battleship had been in. But Fubuki was the only one who could try to mend fences here, so she had to _try_.

"Fubuki-chan?" the first of her...targets...to notice her was Kirishima.

While it was readily apparent that the only visible Hiei sister wasn't in _great_ shape, she seemed to be the best off of them. For what that was worth, when she had removed her glasses in favor of rubbing at her eyes with a tissue. Red rimmed blue eyes, that darted from the little destroyer girl to a shut door behind the battleship.

"Kirishima-san," Fubuki bowed respectfully, "Are Hiei-san and Haruna-san in that room?"

"Yes," the battleship replied, eyes narrowing slightly, "I don't think they want to talk to anyone right now."

"I know," a wince came from the smaller girl, "But I want to. I think I know why Indestructible-san acted like she did."

"You do?" Kirishima's shoulders lost some of the tension, as she looked more seriously at Fubuki, "How?"

"I'm her friend!"

The battleship frowned, "But she's _our_ Onee-sama. By all logic we should...know her bet..."

Trailing off, Kirishima held a hand to her face. She loved to call herself the 'brains' of her sisters, though it was often jokingly. Even so, she did tend to realize things sooner than her elder sibling.

"We thought we knew her," Kirishima trailed off, voice soft.

Fubuki had a sad smile on her face, "She does care about you all a lot! She just wasn't..."

"Ready. Yes, I think I can see that now," the battleship sighed softly, shaking her head ruefully, "We should have waited. We were just so excited to see our Onee-sama! We were enemies for so long, we thought we could finally...meet her and be together. Hiei onee-san really missed Kon..."

"Indestructible-san."

Kirishima's face fell into a sad smile of her own, "Right. Onee-san really thought she would want to be with us, but I guess we just didn't think that through enough. How much did we hurt her...?"

That was a question that Fubuki wasn't comfortable answering, at least, with only one of the Hiei sisters present. She had a fairly good idea _of_ the answer, of course. She had seen how totally shattered the elder battleship was, and it made her sad to think about it. Indestructible...

 _She hates what happened, but..._

"Can I talk to your sisters, Kirishima-san?" Fubuki finally replied.

A nod answered that question, "Of course, Fubuki-chan. I...think we need to talk to them."

The elder girl was thoroughly spent, her shoulders slumped as she opened the door. Fubuki didn't feel _much_ better herself, not really. But she still followed after the battleship, determined to talk to all three of the Hiei sisters. Fix whatever damage she could. The last thing the destroyer girl wanted, was to see the sisters torn apart by this. They deserved to be together, like she was with her sisters! If not more so, since none of _her_ siblings had been torn apart for thirty years, before being forced to be enemies.

With that thought in mind, she carefully maneuvered around the bulk of the battleship in front of her, only to let out a small gasp at what greeted her eyes. Hiei, one of the strongest Japanese battleships, was sitting on a couch, staring at nothing particular. The similarity to the reaction from Indestructible was striking, and not just in the fact they were sisters. Hiei was...she was acting shattered, in the same way her sister was. Not reacting to anything around her, lost in her emotions. The only difference, was that where Indestructible was alone now, Haruna was sitting next to her elder sister, running a hand through her hair.

Though she looked barely better herself, tears flowing down her face.

"Fubuki-chan?" even so, the soft-spoken girl looked up when her sister and the destroyer came into the room.

"Hey, Haruna-san..." the destroyer replied just as softly, "Are you...?"

"I'm alright," Haruna replied, though the shaking in her voice put paid to her statement, "Haruna is just worried about Onee-san..."

It was hard to argue that point, when Hiei hadn't made any sign of noticing the conversation going on around her.

"Indestructible-san didn't mean to be mean," Fubuki said, moving to kneel in front of the sisters, "I think she was just frustrated and upset, not angry."

Haruna's face formed a weak smile, "I...Haruna understands that. I know Onee-sama wasn't really angry at us, but it still..."

It still hurt, despite knowing the truth. Fubuki could understand that, though it just made her sadder. Haruna understood why her sister did what she did, but was still this upset? This was quite the situation...

"I think she was just overwhelmed by everything."

Kirishima nodded, sitting on the other side of the still unresponsive Hiei, "Yes, Fubuki-chan and I came to an understanding on that subject. We got too excited, Haruna. We got too excited, and didn't stop to think how Onee-sama felt."

A sad nod came from the other battleship, "It still feels wrong though. Ko...Indestructible onee-sama, she didn't give us a chance to explain..."

Fubuki shook her head, "Like I told Kirishima-san...she doesn't know what to think, and had a lot dumped on her all at once. Think about it, Haruna-san...how would you feel if you were jumped like that after coming back in a country you don't consider home?"

That was the real issue at hand here.

"Haruna...no, I didn't think like that," the battleship girl deflated, her shoulders slumping as she looked with teary eyes at the destroyer, "Is it...is it really that bad?"

"Yes..."

Not that Fubuki wanted to admit to that, but it really was. Indestructible-san had never looked particularly comfortable with her situation, discounting her time training. It really didn't surprise her, that having her situation thrown in her face on top of meeting her sisters that she had never seen before...would mess with the girl. It wasn't a surprise at all, though it still left Fubuki stuck trying to pick up the pieces. She had made progress with Kirishima, and Haruna seemed to understand on some level where the sisters had gone wrong. But that still left the biggest problem.

Hiei, who was making no signs she even noticed the conversation.

"Onee-san," Kirishima was on the ball though, tugging on Hiei's arm.

"K...Kirishima?" the eldest sister blinked, before her unfocused and red-rimmed eyes turned to Fubuki, "Fubuki-chan?"  
"Umm...hi, Hiei-san?" Fubuki awkwardly replied, tugging on her skirt as she sat down on the floor, "I wanted to talk to you about Indestructible-san."

Hiei's shoulders slumped even further than Haruna's, as she practically melted into the couch she was on, "What is there to talk about, Fubuki-chan? I made Onee-sama hate us! I thought everything was going to go back to normal, but she hates us now and doesn't want to talk to us. I thought she would love being together again..."

The battleship sniffled, rubbing at her nose. Her normally bright blue eyes were dull, as she looked down at her skirt, now clenched by her hands.

"We should have been happy...not sad."

"But she doesn't hate you!" Fubuki protested, shaking her head enough to make even her short ponytail sway, "She doesn't hate you at all!"

"She yelled at us and said that Japan isn't her home," Hiei replied weakly, "Onee-sama probably doesn't even want to see us, and just go home."

The destroyer stubbornly shook her head again, "That's not true, Hiei-san. Indestructible-san was just overwhelmed. She wasn't ready to see you yet, and you probably should have waited."

Fubuki couldn't help but wince as she said that, as Hiei shrunk even further in on herself. This wasn't the strong, if eccentric, girl she remembered. Hiei had always been someone to look up to, taking care of her sisters and taking the time to be nice to the younger girls. Sure her cooking was more dangerous than the Abyssals, but that was just one thing! Seeing her like this...

"But once she's had time to think, I'm sure she'll be happy to talk to you again!" the destroyer girl hastily continued, "I mean, Indestructible-san really wanted to talk to all her sisters. You, and her British sisters!"

"Right!" Kirishima nodded, "We do have other sisters too, Onee-san!"

"Other..." instead of looking happy, Hiei rapidly paled, "Our British...sisters..."

 _Huh? Have they met before?_

Fubuki blinked slowly, looking between a Kirishima who looked just as confused as herself, and the other two battleships. A pale Hiei, and a Haruna who was once more running a hand through the eldest girl's hair.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Haruna shook her head, "No you didn't Fubuki-chan. It's just..."

"The British sisters," Hiei repeated slowly...her voice soft and totally unlike her usual excitable self.

"I think I missed something..."

The only question, was _what_.

* * *

Far away from Japan, HMS Hood walked with a purpose. Her long, slender legs that were so indicative of a battlecruiser, carried her to her dorms. Various other girls scattered out of her way, having no desire to get run over by the pride of the Royal Navy. Especially when such a serious look was on her face...such an expression was ordinarily reserved for fighting Abyssals. The British girls pitied whoever had earned the ire of Hood, even as they dodged out of the way. Seeing her in this state, made that the logical reaction.

Though, a few of the more curious or brave girls almost wondered who had done so.

For her part, Hood wasn't _angry_. More like frustrated, and quite determined to see the girls who were the closest things she had ever had to sisters. She needed to see them, as soon as possible. Once news spread about Indestructible, it was likely that the Royal Navy would put guards around her sisters, to keep them from going off half-cocked. But they _needed_ to know about their sister. They _had_ to know.

"Hey Hood," Renown was the first one to _not_ jump out of her way though, as she left the battlecruiser dorm, "Where's the fire?"

"Are Irresistible and Implacable here?"

The other battlecruiser blinked at the random question, before looking over her shoulder, "Should be, yeah. Why?"

"I need to see them."

Renown shrugged, "Right, well they should be in their room right now."

With that said, she moved out of the way so that Hood could pass, muttering something about 'wonder why she could need them' under her breath. Hood wasn't in a hurry to explain that. Right now, the only girls who needed to know were the sisters themselves.

Who, luckily, had a room fairly close to the exit of the dorm building itself.

"Come in!" Irresistible's voice was the first to sound, as Hood knocked on their door.

"Irresistible, Implacable," Hood nodded at both girls, as she entered their room.

The former was sitting on her bed, sprawled out with a book in her lap. An elegant brown eyebrow went up, as the girl swung her legs out to get a better look at Hood. Her shoulder-length brown hair swayed with the movement, red eyes following the famous battlecruiser. Her uniform was crumpled, and stretched taught over her modest bust, as Irresistible stretched her body. The typically crooked smile on her face was nothing new, though she was still watching Hood intently. Irresistible wasn't ordinarily the most serious of British girls, but she could recognize a serious situation when need be. She even brushed at her hair, resetting the hairpin shaped like a star in her hair.

For her part, Implacable was almost nothing like her elder sibling. Her hair, while not as long as the eldest of her class, was tied back in a ponytail, and dark as night. Her eyes were a bright green, set in a serious face. Her smiles were few and far between, though it wasn't a sign of lack of emotion. Implacable was just a serious girl, reflected in her conservative attire, her uniform probably the closest to any of the British girls to being regulation. Her hands were empty, a painting sitting by her side, where she had clearly placed it after noting Hood's arrival.

"Hood," the youngest of the Indestructible sisters replied, with a short nod, "Did you need us for something?"

"Yeah, I thought we weren't going to sortie again until the French got another supply shipment through the Tunnel?" Irresistible added, continuing to quirk her eyebrow up at the younger girl.

Hood shook her head, her hat keeping her hair from swaying with the motion, "It's not about a sortie. You two...you haven't changed the third bed in here, correct?"

Irresistible looked somewhat insulted at the idea, "Of course not! That beds Indestructible's, and until our sister gets back, we aren't going to do a bloody thing to it."

"What if I told you she _was_ back?"

One could have heard a pin drop, as the two older battlecruisers processed that sentence. Processed it, before the middle sister let out an entirely unproper squeal of joy, and pulled her youngest sister into a tight hug. Stoic Implacable had a small but genuine smile of her own, as she looked over at Hood.

"Where is she?" her soft voice asked.

The youngest battlecruiser in the room, if not the world, winced softly, "About that..."

"Hood?" Irresistible narrowed her eyes, the effect emphasized by their red coloring, "What aren't you telling us, little sister?"

Technically, Hood was more of a distant cousin if one used her design. That aside, the Indestructible sisters- especially the eldest girl -tended to view the younger battlecruisers as siblings more than cousins. It was a quirk of those girls, and one that made Hood quite happy despite herself. Her own sisters had never been built so...it was nice, having family.

That being said...

"She was summoned...in Japan," Hood replied slowly.

"Ja..." Irresistible, normally talkative to a fault, opened and closed her mouth slowly.

Implacable took over for her sister, voice hardened from its normal soft tones, "Japan? They are trying to keep her there, am I right?"

"Yes. The Admiral won't let them keep her, but I...I had to let you know."

The tough facade Hood put up for the media crumpled, as she sat down next to the closest girls she had to sisters. She felt the same as they did, at the idea of Indestructible- who they all looked up to -being stuck across the world. In a country that had left her behind, and was now trying to steal her out from under her adopted homeland. The idea of Indestructible being stuck in Japan, all alone, made her sick with worry. Especially since Hood knew that she herself couldn't do a damn thing about it.

She was too vital, for morale and combat, to leave the Atlantic. She was rarely even allowed to sortie far from Britain herself, and even then, only under heavy escort that may or may not include her close friend Bismarck. So the only way to make sure that Indestructible got back safe...

"We have to get her back."

...was to go to her sisters, Irresistible already living up to her namesake. Anyone who got in her way, was going to find out just how stubborn someone with that name could be.

"Yes," Implacable nodded along with her elder sister, smoothing out her skirt as she got to her feet, "The Admiral won't try to stop us."

Hood just smiled sadly, "Make sure you bring her back, you hear? I still need to...talk to her again. I never got the chance to say thank you, for taking me in."

The famous battlecruiser had sunk before the girl who was her mentor and elder sister-figure. And she had been the first British girl to return, spending so much time waiting for Indestructible. Only now...she couldn't go to the elder girl. Couldn't go help her, and make sure she got home safe. That was up to her sisters.

"Don't worry, little sister," Irresistible's cocky grin was back in full force, "We _will_ get her back. Come hell or high water, the Japanese aren't keeping our sister away from us. Even if we have to drag her out of there."

"It would not be the first time, we have had to fight the Japanese surface fleet," Implacable nodded, a distant look in her green eyes, as she remembered events long past.

"Try to do it without fighting," Hood couldn't help a small smile crossing her face. A fond smile, as she watched the other girls leave the room.

"No promises!~"

With that parting shot, the two girls left to set sail for Japan. Hood knew she would be seeing a lot of paperwork over this, and almost pitied how her Admiral would have to juggle assets around to cover for the missing girls. All the same though...

She was much more happy, than worried. Indestructible was going to come home, no matter what it took.

* * *

The girl in question looked up, rubbing at her eyes as there was a knock on Fubuki's door. Stumbling to her feet, Indestructible tried in vain to smooth out her uniform, as she walked over to exit the room. Upon opening the door, she came face to face with the Admiral...Admiral Takeda, if she remembered her question to Jintsuu correctly. The Admiral looked exhausted, though there was still a hint of worry in his eyes, as he looked up and down her body. Worry, but nothing else, as he stepped aside, to let her out of the room.

"Are you alright, Indestructible-san?" the older man asked, as they walked away from the room, "Has something happened?"

Remembering his promise to punish any girls who did anything to her, Indestructible shook her head. A weak smile crossed her face, though it didn't reach her brown eyes.

"No, nothing you need to worry about, Admiral," the battleship looked up at the man who, if nothing else, had never done anything to hurt her, "I...just met my sisters."

Takeda winced softly, "I see. I can only assume they made fools of themselves?"

"I..."

"There is no need to lie," the Admiral had a ghost of a smile on his face, "I am very familiar with Hiei and her siblings. I can only imagine they probably said something they shouldn't have. Those girls are kind and I doubt they've ever intentionally hurt anyone not an Abyssal. But they don't have a filter on what they say, and sometimes, that has caused more problems than I would like. I'm sure they didn't mean whatever they said."

Indestructible sighed softly, "I may have overreacted myself. I...doubt they look much better than I do. Is it alright if I go see them?"

"Soon," Takeda nodded, "Soon. First, I believe you wanted to talk with London?"

The battleship perked up slightly at that, looking over at the Admiral, "You can do that?"

"Modern technology."

"Right."

Still unused to the idea of modern technologies capabilities, Indestructible followed the Japanese man into a large room. There was an equally large, in proportion, pane of glass set up towards the end of the room. Or, what looked to the British battleship like a pane of glass. Her eyes widened, when the 'glass' took on color, showing some sort of spinning circle. Turning her brown eyes on the Admiral, she saw a more genuine smile as he moved to sit in front of the glass. Indestructible followed, casting her gaze between the spinning circle, and the Admiral. Takeda looked like he was used to her reaction, and really, he might well be. Any girl who came back wouldn't have context on modern technology.

If this was what he meant, that just doubled the situation.

It was impressive though, as the glass changed colors again, showing a meeting room. And a single man, who had the battleship jumping to her feet. The man on the other side of the glass smiled in amusement, as he waved a hand.

"At ease, Indestructible," the Admiral's familiar British accent was music to her ears, "It is good to see you, I won't lie. We were worried something was wrong, when we couldn't summon you."

"Admiral..." Indestructible replied softly, "Are my sisters...?"

The man's smile widened at that question, "Perfectly fine. Hood should have told them by now...that you're back."

"Hood as well?" the British girl couldn't help her own smile, sagging in relief that her sisters- both blood and adopted -were okay.

"Yes. In fact, I believe your sisters are probably on their way to you now. I wouldn't be surprised if they rope Invincible in as well."

Before Indestructible could reply to that, Takeda coughed lightly, "I see you weren't able to stop them?"

"As I said before, Admiral Takeda, I won't even try."

Indestructible didn't pay as much mind to that as she might normally have. Her mind was focused on the thought of her sisters coming to her. Her sisters, who for all she knew had never met Hiei and _her_ sisters, either. Indestructible wasn't sure how to feel about that...but she knew one thing. If nothing else, she was going to look forward to her sisters return. To having the _entire_ family, together at last. She felt guilty over how she had treated Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima, and intended to make up for that as soon as she could.

Having Irresistible and Implacable on their way would make that much easier. She could have the entire family, all her blood sisters, together. If anything would help mend fences, that would do it.

"That being said, there is something you need to know, Indestructible."

Looking up at her name, the British girl felt herself pale slightly, at the serious look both Admirals were sending her.

 _What...what are they talking about?_

"Admiral...?"


	6. Chapter 5: New Friendships

**AN: I'm going to try and remember to get all the chapters transferred over. Hopefully.  
**

* * *

 ** **Chapter 5: New Friendships****

 _I...I can't stay here. My home is Britain. I_ won't _stay here!_

Indestructible held a hand to her heart, beating rapidly, as she left the meeting with the Admirals behind. What she had heard in that room...it had her more on edge, than even her lingering worry over her sisters.

 _The Admiral won't let me stay here. I'm certain of that_.

Lost in her own world, the old British battleship walked through the Japanese base, unseeing anything but what was immediately in front of her. And even then, her mind was far from focused on even that. Indestructible was in shock over what she had heard, and it was quite impossible for her to focus on anything else. The idea of being forced to stay in Japan, against her will, hurt her terribly. The hole in her heart, the aching pain of her abandonment so long ago, was torn wide open by the actions of the Japanese Diet. It hardly helped that Admiral Takeda was doing his utmost to help her return home.

The mere _suggestion_ that Japan would _force_ her to stay and fight for them, had Indestructible swaying slightly. Leaning against the wall to recover her bearings, the girl shook her head slightly. She couldn't imagine the pain of her abandonment being worse than it had been, but this had done so. It wasn't enough to leave her because it was more convenient to build Hiei and her sisters instead of waiting a little longer. It wasn't enough to _toss her aside_ , and leave her to the Royal Navy, whom had become her adoptive family.

No, Japan had to go the extra distance, and try to take her back. Despite Indestructible, no matter how she cared for Fubuki and her Japanese sisters, wanting nothing... _nothing_...more than to go home. She would give anything, just to be back in Britain.

"H...hello? Are you alright?" a quiet voice spoke up, breaking Indestructible from those depressing thoughts.

"No, not particularly," she quickly replied, looking for who had spoken.

"Oh...what's wrong then?" the soft voice continued.

A voice that was quickly identified as belonging to _another_ destroyer. A newer one than Fubuki though, not that Indestructible really cared to notice that. Her focus was more on the _human_ form of the girl. A short, at least compared to her, girl in a black version of Fubuki's uniform. Not an exact copy of course, but the tunic and skirt were similar enough to her depressed mind. The destroyer's dark black hair, tied back in a ponytail hanging over one shoulder, framed a young face with brilliant blue eyes. Eyes that were looking at Indestructible, worry clear in them.

"Who are you?" Indestructible turned the question back on the girl, not quite ready to discuss what had happened to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself," the younger girl looked at the ground, shuffling slightly before turning back to the battleship, "My name is Shigure, second of the _Shiratsuyu-_ class destroyers."

"Indestructible, first of my class."

Shigure blinked, "I thought your uniform looked odd, Indestructible-san. Why are you here, instead of in Britain?"

Indestructible felt a stab of familiar pain in her chest at that question,"I would be, but I was summoned here."

That aside...

"You knew I was British?"

The destroyer smiled softly, her young face looking quite cute with the expression, "It wasn't hard to guess, with your uniform. Yamashiro-san showed me other navies uniforms once."

"Right..."

"I was going to eat, if you aren't busy," Shigure continued, sending a hopeful look up at the battleship, "I...if you're fine with that, of course. I'd understand if you aren't..."

Blinking slowly, Indestructible sighed, "If you don't mind the company."

"I don't mind!"

That had been a bit too quick, and had the battleship quirking an eyebrow, glad for the distraction if nothing else. For her part, Shigure blushed slightly, turning those brilliant blue eyes any direction but at Indestructible. There was a story here, but the battleship had no idea what it was. Did it have something to do with her? She couldn't remember ever meeting Shigure, in either of her lives. Maybe it had something to do with...with her almost being trapped here. Maybe Shigure knew about that, after all.

It just brought the pain back up, to think about that though.

 _I don't think she knows about what the Japanese_ government _wants to do. I hope not, at the least. I don't want to talk about that. I don't want to_ think _about it._

In the interests of not thinking about what had upset her, Indestructible started walking to the mess hall. At least, what signs marked as the mess hall. She doubted that going to Mamiya's all the time was how the ship girls worked, so there had to be a more traditional mess around somewhere. And if Shigure really wanted to eat with her...

"You know where to go?"

She would follow along, a curious look crossing her face now.

"Not at all, but I can read the signs," Indestructible replied, nodding at the signs in question, "I may be British, but I...I was born Japanese."

Shigure didn't comment on that, instead nodding herself, "Well, that's good. At least I don't have to escort you..."

Again, she trailed off, a lost look in her eyes not unlike that in Indestructible's own, when she had found out what Japan wanted of her. Reaching out a hand, Indestructible was going to pat the destroyer on the shoulder. Shigure flinched away before she could, though the girl immediately flushed at her reaction.

"Sorry..."

The battleship just frowned lightly, "It's no problem. But I think we _both_ have things to tell each other."

If she was going to tell _anyone_ but her sisters about what she had been told, Indestructible felt that someone who clearly had something similar weighing her down may be best. If nothing else, what she had seen...

 _I doubt Shigure will judge me for how I feel._

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"So you...are worried that I will leave? Or hate you?"

"Yes...I know it's silly, but I...can't get rid of that feeling, you know?"

"I can't say I understand, but my experiences are nothing like what you just told me. Bloody hell..."

Indestructible leaned back in her seat, holding a hand to her face. Beside her, Shigure picked at her food, blue eyes downcast at the table. Now that she knew why that reaction happened, the old battleship could say that Shigure might be one of the few who could understand her abandonment issues. After all, she faced much the same issue, didn't she?

"Still, I can at least understand what it feels like to be abandoned," Indestructible sighed softly, her own brown eyes still filled with the familiar pain, "you're left alone, because a lot of these girls are afraid being near you will get them killed. I...I was left alone, because it was too _inconvenient_ to finish me. At least I found a home in Britain...you..."

Shigure turned a sad smile on the battleship, shrugging ever so slightly, "I'm home, but only my sisters, Fusou-san and Yamashiro-san are really comfortable around me. I'm really happy you don't seem to mind being around me..."

The battleship slowly placed a hand on Shigure's, smiling at the much younger girl, "Don't worry about that. I don't worry about luck or anything like that. Besides, I doubt many of your shi...kanmusu...would willingly be around _me_ either."

"Why?" the destroyer's face twisted into a cute frown, "I'm not...not familiar with you, Indestructible-san. But you aren't like..."  
"You? No, no I'm not. I was sunk early by one of your submarines," Indestructible didn't blame that girl though, it _had_ been war, "but I imagine a lot of the girls here would consider me a traitor, or at least ungrateful. After all, I am Japanese by birth."

She was faced by that fact, every time she looked in a mirror. Indestructible didn't dress like the Japanese girls. She didn't accessorize her hair like she had seen her sisters. But her face...was entirely Japanese. Perhaps there were some small hints of her British upbringing and construction, but at her heart, she was still a Japanese ship. She imagined that Agincourt was probably similar, though she hadn't seen that girl as...well, as _this_.

No matter the fact that Indestructible considered herself British first and foremost, a lot of people wouldn't see it that way. Fubuki didn't, and she could believe- now that it had been some time -that her sisters didn't either. But those were special cases. Fubuki was proving to be a great friend, and someone that Indestructible could trust, despite everything. Her sisters loved her, perhaps too much, and she knew they would never judge her for her loyalty to her adopted home. At least, she liked to think that.

But the average Japanese girl? When Japan was apparently stretched thin enough that they were contemplating forcing her to stay here?

 _No, I can easily see them considering me a...a traitor to my people. No matter that I'm British, despite what I look like._

"Indestructible-san?" Shigure's soft voice spoke up, making the battleship shake her head.

"Sorry, I was..."

"You're not a traitor."

Indestructible turned her head, seeing the destroyer looking at her with a sad expression on her face.

"You never served with Japan, you can't betray someone you didn't serve with," Shigure continued, her voice never once changing tone, "Not like I failed my...everything."

"What happened wasn't your fault. You were lucky, but that was..."

Both girls stopped talking, staring at the other. At least, staring until a soft giggle escaped Shigure's lips, as she blushed slightly. Indestructible felt a smile coming to her own face, as she shook her head bemusedly.

"Looks like we both can counter anything the other says," the British girl smiled at her younger counterpart, "I think I needed this. Thank you, Shigure."

"It's not a problem," Shigure's smile was blinding, in its own small way, "And I should thank you, Indestructible-san. We don't have...many girls here who don't treat me like I'm different."

Indestructible held out a hand, that Shigure took with only a small hint of hesitation, "Which is a bloody shame, if you ask me. You're a nice girl, Shigure. If none of these other girls want to spend time with you, that's their own fault."

Smile turning down slightly, the destroyer shook her head, "It's also my fault. If I had just been a bit better or a bit more unlucky...they would have survived, or I would have di..."

"No," Indestructible shook her own head, "Don't even think of finishing that sentence. You dying wouldn't have done any good for them. Treating you like this is wrong, and I wish it were different. But don't let it get to you. You're a nice girl Shigure, and don't forget that. No matter what."

Shigure just smiled weakly, "Then you don't forget that you aren't betraying anyone, for wanting to go home, Indestructible-san."

 _Yes, I think we both needed this..._

Sharing a smile with Shigure at her statement, Indestructible sighed softly, before moving to leave. The young destroyer followed her, as the battleship went looking for her sisters. With Shigure's words in her head, she felt...well, if not _better,_ at least able to deal with her worries over Japan's intentions towards her. And that meant she couldn't use it as an excuse to put this off. She _had_ to see her sisters. She had to see Hiei, Haruna, and Kirishima. Make sure they were okay, and apologize for what she had said.

Indestructible may have meant every word she spoke to them, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel bad about it. She needed to apologize and mend fences with her Japanese sisters, before her British siblings arrived. Hopefully, then, they could actually function as a family. For however long she was here.

* * *

Sailing off the coast of France, Irresistible and Implacable had no knowledge of what their sister felt or what was happening to her. What they did know, was that their little mission to Japan was needed. The battlecruiser sisters would break their sister out of the nation if need be, and woe betide anyone who attempted to stop them. Their names weren't for show after all. These girls were stubborn and determined to a fault, and once they had a mission in mind, they _would_ succeed at it, no matter what it took to do so. Especially if that mission was 'rescuing' their elder sister.

Of course, actually getting to Japan was easier said than done. They could have taken an aircraft there, but the risk of Abyssal air attack was always very real. Even travelling overland wasn't a perfectly safe option in an aircraft, as Abyssals had an almost preternatural ability to find ship girls being transported by air, and _had_ launched suicidal attacks before. It wasn't exactly safer to travel across the sea long distances either, but on the other hand, at least this way they could have escorts.

"I'm picking up something!" one of those escorts, little HMS Encounter, sailed up to the larger warships.

"Abyssals?" Implacable was the first to respond, green eyes scanning the horizon as her radar did the same.

And indeed, there was a group of contacts, including two large ones. One of which was larger than her.

"No, I think..." Encounter scrunched her lip, clearly focusing, before a wide grin took it's place, "Germans!"

"Germans," Irresistible rolled her eyes, "Bloody hell. I know what's going on, right sis?"

Implacable nodded, a very slight smile crossing her face, "Indeed."

Encounter was just confused, "Ma'am?"

"That's probably Bismarck. If I know our dear little sister, Hood probably asked her to escort us to the Rock."

That was a fairly safe assumption to make, as the familiar sight of Deutsche Marine warships came into view. Lead by the even _more_ familiar blonde haired form of Bismarck. The German girl was the closest thing their continental neighbors had to Hood in fame and morale value, something only emphasized by the quick friendship the two girls had struck up. Leading a squadron based out of Brest- the Swedes were able to contribute enough ship girls that the Deutsche Marine didn't need to keep _all_ their girls in Kiel or Wihelmshaven -Bismarck was every bit as skilled as she was famous.

And, she always kept an ear out for requests for aid from dear old Hood.

"Nice to see ya Bis!" Irresistible called out, as Bismarck got closer.

The German battleship quirked an eyebrow, hands on her dangerously underdressed hips, "It is nice to see you as well, Irresistible."

"Am I right to assume Hood called you?" the other Indestructible sister asked her German counterpart.

"Ja," Bismarck nodded in reply, twisting around slightly as her tunic swayed over her skirtless hips, "However, I am only here to escort you to Gibraltar. My duties in the Atlantic are too important for me to abandon. That being said..."

She nodded at another girl, sailing up a slightly slower pace with Admiral Hipper and Emden, along with a pair of destroyers, in formation. This girl was shorter than Bismarck, and indeed, slightly shorter than the Indestructible sisters. Her blonde hair was tied back in a long ponytail not unlike Implacable, exposing a face with a pair of long scars. One curved down her right cheek, ending underneath the collar of her old-fashioned Imperial German naval uniform. The other was above her left eye, cutting across her forehead. It was faint, but there may have been more scars along her neck, though they were hard to notice. Her sharp green eyes, watching the pair of British girls warily, were much easier to notice.

The battlecruiser, for Irresistible and her sister could recognize the unique silhouette, pulled up next to Bismarck. Her scarred face was a stoic mask, as she looked at the British girls, before turning back to the larger German battleship.

"My apologies, _Kapitän_ Bismarck," the shorter girl spoke, her voice soft as she looked up at the larger girl, "I am not as fast as I could be."

"No need to apologize Seydlitz," Bismarck simply held up her hand, small smile crossing her beautiful face, "Now, Irresistible, Implacable."

Turning back to the British girls, the German battlewagon nodded at the girl next to her.

"Seydlitz requested that I allow her to escort you to Japan, and _Konteradmiral_ Schmidt agreed, on the condition that the Swedish provide one of their _Sverige_ girls to replace her."

Irresistible raised an eyebrow, "Righto. Why does Seydlitz want to come with us?"

Bismarck merely shrugged minutely, "That is a question you will have to ask her. As she is unable to keep up with _my_ speed, she will be sailing in formation with your squadron while myself and my escorts sail ahead."

A hint of arrogance, something that Bismarck was _also_ known for, seeped into the German's voice as she said that. Irresistible couldn't...resist...rolling her eyes at that, casting a look at her sister. Implacable shrugged, as Bismarck and the other German ships moved ahead of their formation, leaving the heavily scarred Seydlitz behind with the Brits. Who stared awkwardly at her.

At least, until a wide smile crossed the scarred girl's face.

"I thought she would never leave!" she looked over at Bismarck, before turning the smile back on the British girls, "So, Indestructible has returned, ja?"

"...well, that was unexpected," Irresistible deadpanned.

Seydlitz blinked, before her smile turned a bit towards 'embarrassed', "Sorry, Bismarck is...how do you say it...a bit 'hardassed' about discipline. I can't act like..."

"This?"

"Ja. I must act more serious when she is around, though I don't like it."

Implacable's smile had widened slightly, as she sailed up to her German counterpart. And considering the date of construction for Seydlitz compared to her older sister, that term was probably quite fitting in this situation.

"You wanted to know if our sister has returned, yes?" the youngest Indestructible sibling asked.

The German's smile widened further, if that were possible, as she nodded excitedly, "Ja! I have been waiting to meet her again, ever since Jutland!"

"Didn't she almost _sink you_ at Jutland?" Irresistible dryly pointed out, as the girls followed after the distant Bismarck.

"Exactly," Seydlitz nodded seriously, "I have to meet your sister again, and show that I survived! I don't blame her for fighting me, it was war ja? But I want to get to know the girl who was able to so decisively out gun my crew!"

Both of the sisters present shared a look that conveyed everything they needed, without a word going between them.

 _Hero worship. We've got a fangirl!_

Irresistible couldn't help but giggle at that realization, getting a confused tilt of the head from the German battlecruiser.

"So you like our sister, huh?" the middle sister asked, a wide grin crossing her face.

The German girl nodded excitedly, "But of course! How can I not like someone who so elegantly fought? I don't believe a single one of my salvos touched her, yet I took so many hits I barely returned to port! That is...why are you laughing?"

Having broken down into helpless giggles while Encounter and her sister Electra smiled at the antics, Irresistible was in no condition to answer that question. Implacable just sighed, and pulled Seydlitz aside as her sister giggled away. The highly confused German cast looks between the dark haired girl holding her arm, and the incapacitated one behind her. Implacable almost felt sorry for her...innocent awe of her sister aside. Emphasis on the 'innocence' in this case, from what the battlecruiser could tell. It was almost cute.

Still, _someone_ had to be mature here. And despite being the youngest of her sisters, that job often fell on Implacable, if only because Irresistible was incapable of doing so. It might have bugged her, but she was very well used to it by now, so it didn't.

"Don't mind her, she's just..." Implacable trailed off, before sighing fondly, "A bit of a tease. Now, you wanted to come with us entirely to meet our sister?"

"Ja...?" Seydlitz nodded, her earlier good cheer replaced by a bit of an uneasy shuffling, "That is not a problem, is it?"

"Of course not. I _am_ surprised, but it is no problem."

 _Aaaannnddd_ the blinding grin was back in full force, "Good! I hope that she is willing to talk to me, when we arrive. I have never been to Japan, after all."

Smiling, Implacable nodded along as the excitable German began to strike up a conversation with her. So far as long journeys across the oceans could go, this could be worse. At least the scarred girl was nice enough, if a bit strange. Then again...

Anyone who could survive over twenty shell hits from main-caliber weapons was probably a bit odd anyway.


	7. Chapter 6: Reconciliation

**AN: Forgetfulness, thy name is Skywalker.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Reconciliation**

Pausing in place, Indestructible sighed softly. The British battleship looked down at her hands, hovering over the handle of a door. A door, that supposedly her sisters were behind. She didn't know if that was the truth. She didn't know, but yet, she still paused. Her emotions, despite the talk with Shigure, were still thoroughly mixed on the subject of the Hiei sisters. Despite her first meeting with them being mere hours previously, she loved the girls dearly. Very dearly. But there was the lingering anger and heartbreak, at how they had reacted to her before. And bundling all of it together, was the guilt over how _she_ had treated _them_. So, it was not an understatement in the slightest that she was unsure how to feel.

Unsure, and hesitating to face her fears. Not very becoming of a battleship, was it?

But then, she wasn't _just_ a battleship, was she? Indestructible clenched the hand that hovered over the handle, the feeling of flesh and bone still somewhat alien. Even now, after several days like this. The girl was just as human as she was a warship now, with all that implied. Especially when it came to emotions. She was feeling them in full force, in a way she truly never had as a warship. Fear being the most prominent...fear that her sisters would be angry with her, and wouldn't accept her apology. It wasn't a logical fear, but even so...

It was drowning he...

"Indestructible-san?" Shigure was by her side in an instant, the little destroyer having seemingly made it a mission to help her through this.

Indestructible didn't know what she had done to deserve such a loyal helper. What was it with Japanese destroyers and wanting to be her friend?

"I'm...fine," the British girl replied, taking in a deep breath, before placing her hand on the door.

Hesitating for a split-second, despite herself, Indestructible felt the soft pressure of Shigure's hand on her own. The destroyer still looked uncomfortable at _touching_ someone, her deep-seated anguish over her survival running deeper than one conversation could ever fix. But there was a determined expression on her pretty face, blue eyes telling the battleship that she wasn't alone in this. With that in mind, they _both_ turned the handle, opening the door.

"Oh!" Fubuki was the first one to notice the opening, green eyes widening, "Indestructible-san! And...Shigure-chan?"

The destroyer's voice trailed off at that point, confusion in her expression. For her part, Shigure shuffled her feet slightly, looking out of place. Indestructible placed a hand on her shoulder, repaying the girl for her own emotional aid. It was only when the destroyer sent her a thankful smile, that the battleship turned back to the room at large.

Her sisters, more specifically.

"On...onee-sama?" Hiei spoke up first, sitting in between Haruna and Kirishima.

"Hey," Indestructible softly replied, unwilling- or perhaps unable -to move from her spot by the door, "Hiei...Haruna...Kirishima, I..."

Sucking in a breath, the battleship squared her shoulders, and bowed in a half-forgotten Japanese style. Her memories of what she _should_ have been like were few and far between, and she probably messed up. But she was determined to do this _right_ , damn it.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you. I was...angry, upset, and not thinking clearly. I shouldn't have snapped at you, my _sisters_. I hope you can forgive me."

The battleship looked up when she finished saying that, expecting nothing more than an angry look from her sisters. It was how she would have acted, so soon after being told off like that. Told off like that, just for forgetting things in their excitement at meeting their sister for the first time.

"Onee-sama..."

What the British girl didn't, couldn't, expect was for Hiei to jump to her feet, and pull her into another hug. Just as before, tears were wetting her uniform, as Hiei hugged her even more tightly than before. And it wasn't just her. Haruna and Kirishima had joined in, the three Japanese girls squeezing their British sister in a group hug. Indestructible had to struggle to take in a breath from the pressure of three battleships hugging her at once...

But it felt nice, too.

 _I...I..._

"You all...you aren't..."

"How could we be _mad_ with you," Hiei weakly laughed, somehow contriving to squeeze harder, "You're our onee-sama! It was our fault you got angry, and _we're_ sorry. Fubuki-chan told us why you were angry. We..."

"Haruna understands how you feel," the youngest sister continued, "And I'm sorry..."

"We all are," Kirishima confirmed, "We shouldn't have acted like that."

Hiei was the one to finish, teary smile on her face as she looked in her sister's eyes, "We should have asked you how you felt. So it's us that should be sorry, not you!"

"Bu..."

"No, don't apologize onee-sama!" her eldest sister had a serious look now, the look of a 'first of her class' ship, "We can put this behind us and be a family now, right?"

Haruna's smile as she spoke next was soft as everything about that girl, "Haruna...we all know you will return to _your_ home. Can we at least be a family, while you're here, Indestructible onee-sama?"

Indestructible didn't know how to feel about this. Her eyes were wet with tears of her own, as she felt the warmth of her sister's bodies pressed against her. All her worries that they would be angry with her...they were false worries. Shigure had been right, when she had talked about this very thing happening on the way back. She had said that Hiei and her sisters were kind to a fault, and wouldn't hold anything against their sister. They...they loved her, more than anything. More than anything, but how their eldest sibling felt for _all_ her sisters. From Irresistible, to Hiei, to Hood. If she considered them a sister, they had her unconditional love.

It was why the worry of Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima being angry with her had hit the British girl so very hard.

"Thank you..." the British girl whispered softly, to where only her sisters could hear.

Hiei's grin was brilliant, as she squeezed her sister against her chest one last time, "That's what sisters are for, onee-sama!"

It was only after saying that, that the three Japanese battleships pulled away from their British sibling. There was much rubbing of eyes, even Shigure and Fubuki looked a bit teary eyed. Indestructible...she felt at home, for perhaps the first time since she had awoken in Japan. These girls...all of them...they care for her. Her sisters loved her, just as dearly as she loved them. Fubuki and Shigure cared for her as well, perhaps the only friends she had to speak of in this nation. And she valued that, quite a lot.

"Onee-san," Kirishima was the first to speak up after the hug split up, pushing her glasses up as she looked at Hiei, "I believe it is tea time."

"Oh!" Hiei blushed, looking at her elder sister, "I was going to ask about that...onee-sama. I've been having us have tea time, since we woke up like this. So we'd be ready to meet you! I hope we've been doing it right!"

 _So, that's why Hiei drinks black tea. I..._

Indestructible felt her own cheeks heat up, as a small smile crossed her lips, "You didn't have to do that for me, Hiei."

"You're our onee-sama, we'd do anything for you," the Japanese girl replied, with a roll of her blue eyes. The smile on her face removed any bite from it though.

"I should probably go then...I don't want to interrupt your time," Shigure's soft voice served to remind the battleships that two destroyers were with them.

The taller one looked at her feet, clearly still not comfortable around people. Indestructible's heart went out to her, as she detached herself from her sisters, and knelt at the destroyer's level.

"No, you should come with us to..." here, she turned a questioning look on Hiei.

Her sister smiled brightly, "Mamiya. I love to cook, but Kirishima won't let me cook for anyone but us."

"With good reason," the middle Hiei sister pushed her glasses up, the light flashing _just right_ to hide her eyes.

"You wound me!"

As her sisters started to play argue, Indestructible turned back to Shigure, a soft smile on her face, "Don't worry Shigure. I...we may have just met, but I think you are a good friend. I don't mind having you here at all, and I doubt my sisters do either. You worry too much."

Shigure opened her mouth, either to argue or point out that the battleship worried too much herself. Indestructible just held a finger up, silencing whatever the destroyer had been preparing to say.

"I know I worry too much, myself. Still, I want you to be a friend...Lord knows, I probably won't have many here. The same goes for you Fubuki...you're both more than welcome to come along."

Fubuki grinned at the larger girl, "Of course Indestructible-san. I think you're a friend too, so I don't mind coming along. And Shigure-chan doesn't bother me either."

"Thank you..." the other destroyer whispered, a small but genuine smile on her face.

"There's nothing to thank me for," Indestructible's smile was the same one she would use for any girl, who needed comforting. Shigure brightened with that smile, as the battleship pulled herself to her feet.

"So, should we be going?"

Hiei nodded, "Follow me, onee-sama!"

The excitable Japanese fast battleship moved for the door, swinging it open. Hiei looked back at her sisters and the tag-along destroyers, grinning at them, before she waved them forward. Indestructible smiled softly herself, following after the other girl. She could spend time with her family, and enjoy it. And once her other sisters arrived, they could _all_ enjoy it.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long before they arrived.

* * *

"Man, I forgot how long this trip was. Implacable, how long will it _take_ us to get to Japan?"

"Some time."

"Damn."

Irresistible sighed, as she saw the imposing form of The Rock in the distance. The first landmark along their long trip through the European coast, then the Med, then Suez, _then_ the Indian Ocean, and _then_ Indonesia and the Philippines. Bloody hell, they weren't getting to Japan anytime soon, were they? And this was the _short_ route over sea! There was a reason that ship girls were stationed somewhere and rarely made such long trips. They could pull it off every bit as well as their original hulls could, but that didn't make it _fun_ to sail so far.

Frankly, it would have been easier if they had been stationed in Australia. But the Aussies and Kiwis had their own girls, up to and including two battlecruisers in the form of Australia and New Zealand themselves. Granted, not particularly _modern_ battlecruisers, even compared to herself. But the point remained. Not to mention Sydney and Melbourne.

Suffice to say, there was a reason she and her sister were based out of Britain, not Australia.

"I have never made this trip," Seydlitz spoke up, the scarred girl pushing herself to her limit of 27 knots, "It is quite long, ja?"

"Indeed," Implacable nodded, her ponytail swaying in the breeze, "We haven't made this trip since...1945, correct?"

"Far as I can remember," her elder sibling shrugged, before turning to the German, "Ya sure you can pull this off, 'litz?"

The German put her hands on her shapely hips, her scarred appearance making her look much more fearsome than she actually _was_ , "Of course! Any trip is worth seeing Indestructible again. And there is no need to worry about me, when your best couldn't sink me!"

Irresistible stared at the German glaring at her, before breaking down into giggles again. Even her sister couldn't help but let out a couple quiet laughs. Seydlitz kept up the glare, before slumping with a small flush crossing her cheeks. Bless the girl's heart, but even with the way she looked, she couldn't pull off 'intimidating' if she tried. It was quite cute, actually.

"I needed that," the middle Indestructible sister grinned at the German girl, "Thanks, Seydlitz. Now, I _was_ being serious..."

"Really?" Encounter chimed in, darting past on her patrol route.

"Oi! Get back here you little..." Irresistible glared at the laughing form of the destroyer, her red hair fluttering in the breeze as she zoomed past, " _anyway_. I know you Jerries didn't build your ships with long legs, unless they were those armored cruisers like Scharnhorst. Ya sure you'll be okay?"

"My legs are not short," Seydlitz lifted up one of said legs, her short skirt- _still better than Bismarck_ -fluttering around the long limb, a dark sock covering it only up to her knee, "right?"

"That...that is not what I..."

The British battlecruiser opened and closed her mouth, wondering how the German girl could possibly be _that_ naive. That just...no girl could be _that_ innocent. Even Seydlitz, with her fangirling about Indestructible. Right? _Right_?

"I think that was a joke," Implacable spoke up, her voice admirably dry for a warship.

"Oh, you thought I..." Seydlitz blinked wide green eyes innocently.

Once again, Irresistible snapped her mouth shut. Before breaking out into good-natured laughter. Oh, this German was a _fun_ one. This trip might not actually be all that bad, even if it was a long one. At least it wasn't going to be boring, if Seydlitz could duel with words as well as she had with her guns. And considering her guns were tiny for anything other than those stupid pocket battleship abominations the Nazis built- and poor Scharn and Gneisenau for that matter -that was saying something! Certainly more fun to be around that Bismarck. That girl was entirely too serious most of the time, unless 'ole Hood was around.

Speaking of which, the German battlewagon had curved around while Hipper and Emden kept sailing at the front of the formation. Bismarck's glorious blonde hair flared out behind her, as she moved towards the British- and her older cousin -at a steady thirty knots. Her blue eyes were sharp, as the larger girl pulled up alongside the older warships.

"Gibraltar is in range," Bismarck began, nodding at the form of The Rock, "I believe that your Force H should be able to handle the rest of the escort, ja?"

"Should be," Irresistible shrugged, "Ark's not one to be tardy."

"Of this, I am well aware," the German deadpanned, shifting her left leg slightly.

Implacable sent her sister an 'are you serious' look, before turning to Bismarck, "My apologies for my sister."

Bismarck waved it off, "It is not a problem. Still, this is where my squadron must leave you. We have been gone from Brest too long as it is. Good luck, and be careful."

As she said that, the battleship flashed her spotlight's at the other Germans. Those girls spun around, joining their flagship in returning to France. The British girls, and Seydlitz, continued on to Gibraltar. With the Rock in sight, it wasn't a long trip to make either. Nor was it long before their new escort came into view. Fairy Fulmar's swooped over their heads, their tiny little pilots waving down on the sailing warships. Their carrier, the veteran Ark Royal, soon was in range herself. Long brown hair flowed over her back, as a flight of Swordfish scouts warmed their engines on her flight deck. A wide smile was directed at the surface warships, as Ark sent her planes into the air.

Joining her, were HMS Rodney and Nelson, their...unique...silhouettes remaining from their ship days. If only in them being rather...well...top heavy. Forward jutting? There really wasn't a polite way to say 'those girls have rather large fuel tanks' was there?

 _No, probably not. At least my proportions are better spread out! And I_ like _having these legs._

Irresistible waved at the battlewagons and their carrier counterpart, none of her amusement showing on her face.

"Nice to see you!" she shouted, as the other girls took up formation with her little group.

"You too," Ark smiled back, face a mask of concentration as she listened to her little planes, "Orders are to resupply you in Gibraltar, before the Italians take over escorting you to Suez. Why are you even coming here though?"

The curiosity in the carrier's tone was expected, and very understandable. After all, it was hard to believe that two British battlecruisers were needed in the Pacific _now,_ of all times. A German girl? Even less likely.

It would be Seydlitz, ironically, who answered that question, "Indestructible was summoned in Japan. We're going to bring her back!"

Ark blinked slowly, at the cheerful tone in the German's voice, "Right...well, I don't know what to think about one of our girls being summoned by the _Japanese_ of all people. But why are you going, Jerry?"

"Seydlitz," the battlecruiser corrected her absently, before the now familiar grin was back on her scarred face, "Indestructible is someone I have to meet. She is...how do I say it...the closest thing I have to a...hero? Rival? Something like that, ja. I want to be there when we bring her back!"

As Ark Royal tried to figure out how to react to the strange German battlecruiser, Rodney slid up next to the Indestructible sisters, crossing her arms over her impressive bust, "She is strange."

"Oh yeah," Irresistible nodded in agreement, "But hilarious. At least the trip won't be boring."

Rodney snorted, "No, I don't think it will be. I do believe congratulations are in order though. You must be happy your sister is back, even if you have to go all the way to bloody _Japan_ to get her back."

"You have _no_ idea."

"I agree," Implacable nodded, "It is very nice to have her back. No trip is too much, to get our sister back."

"No argument here," Rodney's eyes slid over to her sister, currently chatting with Electra, "None at all."

With that said, the girls sailed into Gibraltar Harbor, heading for the ship girl's docking berths. There, they could get on land and get some food to resupply. And rest, before continuing on the next leg of this very long journey. But as Implacable had pointed out...nothing was too much, to get back the sister you had lost, so long ago. The Indestructible girls would do _anything_ to bring their sister back home, safe and sound. Anything in their power. Even fighting through what was likely to be multiple Abyssal attacks.

Honestly, pity any Abyssals that got in their way. Those girls didn't have their names for nothing.

* * *

"So, onee-sama," Hiei looked over her tea, a smile on her face, "Do you think you can make us tea next time?"

"Me?" Indestructible blinked slowly.

"Yup! Mamiya's is great, but you're _British._ Your tea would be proper British tea!"

The British girl flushed, as she sipped at her own cup, "I've...I've never made tea before. I know _how_ , from my crew. But I haven't..."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Kirishima smiled at her eldest sibling, "Hiei was the Emperor's ship, and should know how to cook. However..."

The 'Emperor's Ship' turned a glare on her sister, "Kirishima!"

"What?"

Laughter went around the table, even from Hiei herself. Indestructible smiled at that, as they all drank their tea, albeit with Japanese food to go along with it. It was...nice. Even Shigure seemed to have loosened up somewhat, talking softly with Haruna and Fubuki. For her part, the British girl just felt more at ease than she had in a long time. Being able to enjoy tea time with her siblings? This was what she had hoped for, after finding out that Hiei and the others were back. She hadn't expected it, but she wasn't going to complain about getting it either.

And if they wanted her to try her own hand at proper British tea and food? Well, she could do that. She didn't have the slightest clue _how_ to do so, but well, her memories of her crew could help in that regard. And for her sisters, Indestructible would do anything. Even if she'd probably fail a few times. Well, everything was a learning process, right?

"Anyway," the eldest of her sisters turned back to the battleship, "Are you up to it, onee-sama?"

"I can try."

"Good!"

After that, things would probably have gone back to normal conversation. Were it not for one fact...the approach of Admiral Takeda. There was a serious look on the Admiral's aged face, as he dodged around ship girls, heading directly for the table housing the battleships and their destroyer companions. Indestructible was the first to notice the man, sitting up a bit straighter.

"Admiral," she spoke up.

"Indestructible," he nodded back, before turning to the other battleships at the table, "Hiei? I need you and your sisters to sortie at once. Abyssals are hitting one of our convoys."

The previously merry mood collapsed, as the battleships jumped to their feet, the first of their class shouting, "Where?!"

"I can give the details once you're in the water. We have to move quickly."

"Right! I'm sorry, onee-sama. We'll be back as soon as we can!"

Blinking, Indestructible wasn't able to get a word in, before her sisters had spun away, leaving her alone with Shigure and Fubuki.

"Aby...what are they talking about?"

She knew there was an 'enemy'. It was why Japan was so desperate to keep her. It was why the girls were summoned in the first place. But this...this was the first time she had a name, to identify them with. And she didn't like it. Something, deep down inside Indestructible, recoiled away from that title instinctively. Abyssal...there was something wrong, and she didn't know what. Indestructible didn't even know what Abyssals _were._ And yet...why did she feel a fear, deep inside her, at that name? A fear that made her want to run after her sisters, pull them to her, and never let them go?

 _What was going on_?

While the British girl tried to make sense of her feelings, Fubuki and Shigure shared a look. The two destroyers weren't close, not like the latter's younger sibling was to the 'mother' of Japanese destroyers, if one wanted to call her that. But they had a shared interest...a shared perspective, in the form of one HMS Indestructible.

"Indestructible-san?" Fubuki was the one to speak up, more familiar with the older battleship.

"What are they talking about?" the British girl repeated, turning wide brown eyes on Fubuki, "What...what are my sisters going to fight?"

"Abyssals," Shigure took over, eyes downcast, "The enemy we all fight. I... _we_...can explain. At least, what we know about them."

Indestructible couldn't shake the feeling she wasn't going to like what they told her...


	8. Chapter 7: Abyss

**By some problem, I managed to forget to put this chapter up. Sorry for that. And the barrage of alerts, but I wanted to get all this up before I managed to forget.**

 **Again.**

 **Anyway, I spend most of my time these days on SV/SB. That's how I have so much KC stuff despite it not being posted here.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Abyss**

Indestructible sat at the foot of Fubuki's bed, staring at the two destroyers across from her. Fubuki herself had an uncomfortable look on her face. And Shigure was looking anywhere but at the British battleship. The combination of the two had Indestructible more worried than she would like to admit. The destroyers were supposed to tell her exactly what these 'Abyssals' that her sisters were fighting...were. And why she had such a deep, instinctual urge to get as far away from the word as possible. The Brtitish girl didn't know what to think about that reaction. But it most certainly did not endear her to the idea her sisters were out there, risking themselves fighting these enemies. She _had_ to know though.

If nothing else, so she could fight herself.

Because if there was truly no choice but to fight these Abyssals? If that was really the reason that she, and by extension all these girls, had come back? Indestructible, despite barely knowing how to use her rigging properly, would fight in a heartbeat. Hiei may have been the lead ship of _her_ class, but all three of those girls- and her own, direct siblings in Britain -were the younger siblings. Indestructible was the eldest sister, and it was _her job_ to keep her sisters safe. She had failed that, in the Second War. But she would _not_ fail it again.

"Right," the British battleship looked at the Japanese girls, "I need to know. What exactly are my sister's fighting?"

"Abyssals," Shigure replied.

"But what are..."

"We don't know, not really," that was Fubuki, looking down at her hands as she took a steadying breath, "We don't know what exactly Abyssals are, or where they come from."

"Then why are we fighting them?"

Fubuki winced, "We don't have a choice but to fight the Abyssals, Indestructible-san."

"Why?"

It was...hard...for Indestructible. There had to be a reason to fight, or a reason why they couldn't make peace. Clearly, even the Imperial Japanese government had seen the light of peace, or her nation would not be allied with them. So why did Fubuki imply that peace with the Abyssals was...impossible?

It would be Shigure who answered that question, blue eyes filled with pain as she looked at her hands, "Abyssals are monsters. They...they appeared some time ago, we don't know from where or how. But from the moment the first one appeared, they've done nothing but attack everything on sight. Our Navy, the American's Navy..."

"They were wiped out," Fubuki continued, sad expression on her normally cheerful face, "Abyssals are...they're like us, in a way. Conventional weapons can hurt them, but they're so hard to hit...the navies couldn't manage with that and their numbers. Civilians were hit even harder."

Indestructible felt a scowl come over her lips, "Civilians? Like the Germans did?"

As a British warship, she felt more of an anger at the idea of civilian shipping being targeted than most. She had _been there_ when the news of _Lusitania_ hit. It was one thing to raid convoys on the surface. Then, there was warning and a chance to escape. Submarines? Unrestricted sub warfare? Directly targeting specifically civilian traffic? Indestructible was still less than fond of that, to say the least.

That said...

"Worse," Shigure's voice was pained, "A lot worse."

"Anything on the ocean is attacked, no matter who owns it or what it is," Fubuki nodded sadly.

"Escort duty is our main task, because of that."

And suddenly the pain in Shigure's voice made a lot more sense. Indestructible shifted, pulling the dark-haired destroyer into a one-armed hug. Shigure tried to pull away, but the battleship was not going to let her go. She owed that girl a lot, and if this was all she could do to repay it...well.

"Abyssals target anything and everyone," Indestructible asked, nodding when she got a confirmation from Fubuki, "And that is why we were brought back. Because conventional navies struggle to fight them."

Fubuki nodded again, "Yes. Indestructible-san...we...all we do when we aren't on base is patrol for Abyssals, or fight them."

"What do they look like?"

Even as she asked that question, the battleship wondered if she _truly_ wanted to know the answer to that. There was still that instinctual aversion to this topic, deep inside her. So yes, part of Indestructible was _far_ from inclined to talk more on this subject. But the rest of her, the part that was so very worried about her sisters, knew that she needed more context. She _needed_ to know about the Abyssals. It would be impossible to keep her sisters safe, if she didn't know what they were fighting.

In answer to that question, Fubuki got up from her bed and went to her desk. She came back with a square object in hand, something like a smaller version of the massive screen that the Admiral had shown her...was it really the same day? It felt so long ago, to Indestructible. That said, her attention was soon focused on the screen Fubuki held, as the girl's fingers deftly flew over it. Flew over it, and revealed a set of images.

A set of images that had a chill running down the British girl's spine.

"Abyssals," Shigure whispered softly, turning wide blue eyes up at Indestructible.

"Abyssals," Fubuki confirmed.

For her part, the battleship reached out warily, prompting Fubuki to put the strange screen in her hands. Sending a thankful nod her direction, Indestructible turned her focus to the screen. Staring up at her, was the form of a battleship, corrupted beyond any reasonable identification. Of course, for all that she saw the twisted and warped turrets, she also saw a woman. Long black hair, framing a face that _might_ have been called attractive. Were it not for the complete lack of expression, and haunting blue eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light. And the lack of any other color, the face pale beyond even the palest humans.

 _I..._

Not to mention, the feeling of deep-seated _fear_ that the image brought up. Indestructible had never truly felt fear before. Worry over her sisters? Yes. Deep, primal fear like this? No, not at all.

"Ru-class."

Turning her head, Indestructible saw nothing but worry in Fubuki's green eyes.

"That's what that is. Ru-class battleship," the destroyer looked uncomfortable herself, "We don't have a name from the Abyssals, so that's what we designated them. I...thought that would be the easiest to show you. A lot of the Abyssals...they don't even look _that_ human."

Shigure took the screen, tapping against it to change the image. Change the image to an almost dolphin-like figure, were it not for the cannon and warped features.

"I-class destroyers...the Abyssal's equivalent to us," the girl softly explained.

Indestructible sighed, pushing the device away, "I...don't know what to say. Fubuki, Shigure. You have been fighting these...things. For how long?"

"Over a year," Fubuki answered, with a small shrug, "I was one of the first to come back."

"A few months," Shigure shook her head sadly, "I'm not on sorties much."

The idea that these two girls, so young and yet so wise, were fighting these monsters? For over a year in Fubuki's case? It made Indestructible clench her hand in her skirt. Why...why had it taken so _long_ for her to come back? She feared the Abyssals, on some level she couldn't readily explain. But that wouldn't have stopped her from charging right out there, to keep these girls safe. It was her job, as a battlecruiser-turned-battleship. She was the one, who should be fighting at the front. But...

But, she had been sleeping. Sleeping for over a year of this war, while her sisters and all these other girls fought their battles. And even now, she had only been brought back as an _accident_.

An accident, but one she intended to take full advantage of. Before, she had felt uncomfortable about her training. If only because it meant she was so vulnerable around girls she didn't trust. Now? Well, now, Indestructible fully intended to learn how to fight as quickly as she could. Even though she wanted nothing more than to return to Britain, she knew that couldn't happen anytime soon. She _had_ to train, and wait for her sisters- her British siblings -to arrive first. And if she was going to be stuck in Japan for who knew how long, she was damn well going to take advantage of that.

 _Those Abyssals terrify me, and I don't know why. I feel like there is something telling me to stay far away from them, lest I find out something I don't want to know. But that doesn't bloody well matter. I am a_ battleship _. Shigure and Fubuki...they aren't sisters. But they are the next best thing I have, here in Japan. If they have been fighting this threat for months now..._

Indestructible turned brown eyes on the silent girls next to her, both of them evidently deeply lost in thought.

 _The least I can do is fight to protect them. I have been sleeping far too long, it seems. I_ have _to make up for that. No matter how long it takes, I will make up for that. I will protect these girls, like they've been protecting everyone else._

"Fubuki."

The destroyer turned, green eyes widening at the look on the taller girl's face, "Indestructible-san?"

"Please...help train me," Indestructible bowed her head, while not letting go of her grip on Shigure, "I have to learn how to fight. My place isn't here, waiting for my sisters. My place is out there, fighting. I failed my task in the War. But I can't fail here."

"Indestructible-san..." Shigure whispered, pulling enough away to look up at the battleship, "You didn't fail..."

"Shigure, please," the battleship turned a weary smile on the girl. On the girl who had taught her just how much she had to work for, in this new life, "I know what you're going to say, since I said the same thing to you. And those words apply to both of us now. We both feel we failed something, and we both can deny that to each other. But the more important thing? We can both bloody well do our best to make up for it, now."

Shigure didn't quite grin. Indestructible wasn't certain if the girl had it in her _to_ grin. But the smile was no less bright for that, as she pulled away fully, to get to her feet. Fubuki watched with a grin of her own, seeming to be quite happy.

"Looks like you have a friend now, Indestructible-san!"

"I have two friends," the battleship replied, brushing a lock of brown hair out of her face, "You two are both friends."

It was a heartwarming moment all around, really. Indestructible had people she could rely on in Japan, and trust. Outside her sisters, of course...and thinking about them, was why the happy moment couldn't last. Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima were still out there, fighting the war. And Indestructible was stuck her, unable to help. Well, there was only one way to rectify that, and that was figuring out how to fight. Figuring out how to fight, so she could get out there and help her sisters.

 _I have to learn. I have to learn, so I can help my sisters._

Those haunting blue eyes of the Ru-class battleship in mind, Indestructible left the room. Her destination was the training grounds, that she had been at so recently. Only now, this was not her humoring Fubuki. This was her...all her. The battleship was _going_ to help her sisters!

* * *

Far away, the spray of seawater on her face, Hiei had no idea the problem's her dear onee-sama was going through. For all that she loved to goof off on base, the lead ship of her class was entirely focused now. Her face was a serious mask, as her sharp blue eyes scanned the horizon ahead of her. Haruna and Kirishima were right behind her, the three battleships sailing in a triangle formation, with turrets facing every direction ahead of them. And on either side of them, further afield, were Sendai and Jintsuu, dragged off training to sortie.

Japan was very serious about defending her convoys, well aware that every ship lost was a ship they needed badly. Air traffic could only supply so much food and resources, and they couldn't afford convoys to fall to the Abyssals. Not now.

"Onee-sama," Kirishima shouted over the sound of waves crashing against their bows, "Radar is picking up a formation of Abyssal destroyers."

"The convoy?"

"It appears so, yes."

Hiei bit her lip, nodding as she pushed herself to her limits, "Come on, we can't let our onee-sama down!"

"What? I don't want onee-sama to be disappointed in us!"

Well, to be fair, Hiei was more serious than she _normally_ was.

For her part, Haruna shook her head fondly, before turning to look at Sendai, the closer of the two cruisers, "Sendai-san? Can you and Jintsuu-san head off the destroyers?"

"Leave it to us!" the cruiser shot a grin at Haruna, pumping her arm as her screws shot her forward past the Hiei sisters.

Said sisters were, despite their apparent mirth, scanning the horizon ahead of them. Scanning it with their eyes and radar alike, warily watching the I-class destroyers. Their boilers pushed the girls as fast as they could possibly go, and for a Japanese battleship, it was quite fast. But the question was...would that be enough? They could see the mixed formation of Japanese and Russian transports in the distance, triple-A fire scything through the sky from their Russian escort. The only reason there would be aircraft attacking was...

 _Wo-class._

"Onee-san!" Kirishima began to shout.

"I know," Hiei shot back, "Haruna, Kirishima, stay close!"

The three battleships turned hard to port, angling for the side of the convoy. Between their own boilers being pushed to the limit and the same for the transports, it didn't take long for the two formations to close. Even as Sendai and Jintsuu began shooting into the destroyer formation, the Hiei-sisters began firing their anti-aircraft weaponry into the sky. The rounded forms of Abyssal fighters and their strange bombers began to fall from the sky in larger numbers, as cheers erupted from the transport's crews.

Hiei and her sisters may not have had the best anti-air weapons in the world, but three battleship's worth of triple-A was more than enough to make a difference. With their guns barking into the sky, the three sisters pulled up alongside the kanmusu Kalinin and the warship _Varyag_. The large cruiser was pitted in places by Abyssal fire, but her guns still fired. And Kalinin seemed to be perfectly okay, not even her fur-cap misplaced.

"Thank you for arriving as fast as you have," her deep Russian voice pierced through the gunfire, as the _Kirov_ -class cruiser's guns fired at an Abyssal bomber, "It is appreciated, da."

"No problem," Hiei winked at the Russian girl, her own guns joining the barrage, "It's our job after all!"

Kalinin nodded, "Da. I believe you would be of more use finding the source of these aircraft."

"She's right onee-san," Kirishima chimed in.

The eldest battlecruiser, the oldest ship there in fact, pouted at her sister. But it was only a temporary pout, before her 'combat face' was back in place. Hiei nodded at the Russian girl, who returned to her escort post.

"Come on, Haruna, Kirishima," Hiei nodded at her sisters with a grin, "Let's show them what the Hiei sisters can do!"

"Right after you, onee-san."

Turning away from the damaged cruiser at their side, the three battleships shot out to where damaged Abyssal fighters were falling back. In the distance, just out of range of the Russian's guns, floated a pair of Ne-class cruisers and a single Wo-class carrier. The twisted warships, pale faces staring emotionlessly out at their targets, showed little outward reaction.

Well, little reaction save for the cruisers moving forward. Eight-inch gun turrets turned to the battleships, who split their formation to force the Abyssals to split their own fire. Hiei had a grin on her face, as the wind brushed through her short hair. Sure, she wasn't the type to go out of her way to fight, but getting the chance to get out and do some fighting instead of patrolling? It was _exciting_! And as she had told her sisters, this was her chance to prove to her onee-sama that she could fight. Hiei wasn't about to turn down that chance.

She wanted Ko... _Indestructible_...onee-sama to be proud of her!

 _Onee-sama will love sailing with us, I'm sure. So I have to finish this and get back to her!_

Turning her bow slightly to port, Hiei unshadowed her turrets. Fourteen-inch guns rotated, and angled at the distant form of an Abyssal cruiser. The Ne-class, her face remaining stubbornly stoic, opened fire herself. Her shells fell well short of Hiei, however, the battleship staying outside her range. Hiei wasn't the lead ship of her class for nothing. She wouldn't get in range when she could do this!

"Fire!" her voice rang out over the battlefield, as all three battleships roared.

Fire and steel shot into the air, powerful cannons shooting at the Abyssal girls in the distance. The Ne-class cruisers turned their own bodies, their hulls presenting the smallest possible target.

It wasn't enough.

"Haruna got one!" the youngest sister called out.

Bracketed by several shells, one of the Abyssal cruisers split clean in half, fire and oil spraying into the air. She quickly began sinking, as her counterpart came out of the spray of seawater, one turret- and indeed, one arm -completely blown away. Her second turret ineffectually returned fire, her bleeding face showing no pain from her missing limb. Hiei had always been confused by that...how the Abyssals could just shrug off damage like that. It was spooky, and creeped her out more than she would like to admit. But that was a thought for another time.

"I have a lock," Kirishima reported.

Hiei grinned at her sisters, "Fire!"

But while they bracketed the Ne-class, finishing the damaged cruiser off, Hiei opened fire on the Wo-class carrier. The Abyssal girl, hands on her staff, made no effort to dodge. Her glowing blue eyes watched the incoming 14-inch shells, not widening or even changing as the massive- if shrunk down -projectiles fell down on her 'hat'. Black armor went flying into the air, as Hiei's armor-piercing shells cut clean through the thin skin of the Abyssal carrier.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, she fell to the water, citadel obliterated.

 _That was easy!_

Hiei's grin widened, as she turned to give her sisters a congratulatory smile. They returned it, though Kirishima also pushed her glasses up. With the Abyssals handled, it was just a matter of returning to the transports. Two members of the convoy were smoking from the air attack...but it seemed like the sisters had arrived soon enough to prevent worse damage. Sendai and Jintsuu had proven more than capable of dealing with the destroyers, not a single torpedo entering the water. Even so, it was a sign.

Grin or no, Hiei felt a small chill at that sign.

 _The Abyssals don't normally hit convoys like this. They don't try to attack so close to our shores. Why now?_


	9. Chapter 8: Feelings

**Chapter 8: Feelings**

 _I have never been in this sea before...Goeben has, but I haven't. But I have to get to Japan! Indestructible..._

SMS Seydlitz squared her shoulders as her bow cut through the calm sea around her. This may have been her first time in the Med, but it was hardly like that was an issue. The calm sea she sailed through was nothing on the choppy North Sea...or Jutland. The only problem the German girl had was in keeping up with her escorts and the girls she had tagged along with. Her top speed, so great for her design, was only 27 knots. Irresistible and Implacable could make thirty without issue. At least Cavour wasn't faster than her! Well, that and they were going at a more sedate twenty-knot cruising speed considering the Med was a lot safer than the Atlantic, so far as Abyssals were concerned.

In fact, they had yet to see a single one of the monsters, despite nearing Egypt!

"So, 'litz," Irresistible pulled up alongside the German, grin on her face at the pout the scarred girl sent her over the nickname.

"Ja?" Seydlitz asked back.

"How's the Med?" the British battlecruiser waved her hand around, grin not leaving her face, "I haven't been down here since the War, but it's quite a bit nicer than the Baltic innit?"

Despite herself, the scarred girl couldn't help a giggle at that, "Have you ever served in the Baltic? It is quite..."

"Cold? Rainy? Miserable?"

"Ja!"

The two girls shared quiet giggles at that. Wiping at her red eyes, Irresistible looked out at the calm waters, "Joking aside, it has to be nice to get out once in awhile. I know that being cooped up in the North Sea all the time would drive me bloody crazy!"

"It is not bad," Seydlitz shrugged, her ponytail swaying with the motion, "It is rather..."

"Cold?"

"You already said that!"

Irresistible snickered, "So I did. Seriously though, why would you rather be there than here? The Med's great!"

Despite her fondness for her 'home turf' as the Americans would say, Seydlitz could hardly deny the point. Crystal waters and warm sunlight beating down on her _were_ nice. Her fairies were even taking advantage, sitting on her deck and marveling at the weather. It wasn't often they were able to sail in something even remotely like this, after all. That said, Seydlitz herself wasn't as eager to stay in the warm Med. This was a means to an end for her...she would have been just as eager to go through Panama or even 'round the Cape. That Suez, and by extension the Med, was the shortest route was...a happy coincidence.

What mattered to the German girl, was no the journey but the destination.

And even then, it was far less the destination. Japan held little meaning to her, as _her_ Germany was an enemy of that nation. Seydlitz knew that Bismarck's Germany had been tense allies with the Imperial Japanese, but to her, they had been an enemy. An opportunistic enemy, interested only in Germany's territory not in 'freeing oppressed Asia'. So to her, Japan was nothing but her destination.

 _Indestructible...she is the reason I am doing this._

"Irresistible," Implacable sailed up to the pair of battlecruisers, "Cavour wants to talk to you."

"Ah," the elder girl pouted, "What about?"

"Ask her."

"Wanker," Irresistible stuck her tongue out at her sister, before shooting up to the Italian girl.

Implacable sighed, turning to Seydlitz, "Again, sorry about her."

"It isn't a problem," Seydlitz smiled slightly.

"Still, I feel the need to apologize for her. She may be my older sister, but..." again, the British girl sighed, "In any case, I was interested in something."

The German battlecruiser blinked, "Interested in what?"

"Why you are so eager to meet our sister," Implacable replied, holding up a hand to forestall any argument, "You may be interested in meeting her because of Jutland, yes. But that is not enough reason to come all this way, instead of just waiting until we bring her home. Especially as your design is not _meant_ to operate this far from home."

Seydlitz's mouth snapped shut, as a flush stole over her scarred face. It was hard to imagine that Implacable and Irresistible were related...and it made her wonder even more what Indestructible herself was like. Maybe it was just because she didn't _have_ any sisters of her own...Moltke was the closest thing Seydlitz had, and they were more cousins than sisters. Shaking her head to clear those thoughts, the German girl focused back on her British counterpart, Implacable's face was...well, implacable. She couldn't read what the other girl was thinking _at all_!

 _I don't know what to say. I don't even know what_ I _feel..._

The question she had been asked was a difficult one to answer. Seydlitz had...complicated...feelings when it came to the British girl. Anger had been there, from Jutland. That had long since faded away, but it _had_ been there. Then there was sadness, as crewman stationed on _Indestructible_ had attempted to stop her scuttling at Scapa Flow. They had failed, but the memory...it lingered. And then there was what she felt _here and now_ , after returning to life.

"It's...complex, ja?" Seydlitz finally replied, turning her green eyes on the water, "My feelings...I don't know how to describe them."

Kicking at the water, the German sighed softly.

"She is the closest thing I have to a rival, an honorable foe to match myself against. The part of me that remembers Jutland, remembers that. And yet...how do I say it...part of me _misses_ her. Did you know that your sister's crew were the ones to attempt to avert my scuttling at Scapa Flow?"

Implacable frowned, "No I did not. I know she was in port for engine trouble but..."

"She tried to _save_ me, when my crew tried to _kill_ me," Seydlitz had a small, fragile and perhaps even bitter smile on her face, "I know now that...that I would have been scrapped or sunk as a target, regardless. But the feeling of your crew opening your hull to the water, watching as you drown in place..."

The German girl shuddered, hands wrapping around her chest, her modest bust doing little to restrict the movement.

"It was cold, so cold. But your sister...her crew tried to save me. They may have failed, but they at least _tried_ , ja? I...need to talk to her about that, and many other things. I know that, but there is something else. I feel...I feel..."

Seydlitz trailed off helplessly, not able to enunciate what she felt. The warm feeling whenever she thought about seeing Indestructible, when she didn't even know what she _looked_ like. It was hard to explain that, in words. At least, it was hard for her. It hardly helped that she still was unused to speaking in English either! Still, Seydlitz knew she should have at least _try_ to explain more to...

"Hey..."

The youngest of the Indestructible sisters tugged the German girl into a hug, ignoring the fact that both of them were still in the water. If any of their comrades noticed, they didn't say anything.

"I cannot say I understand how you feel," Implacable whispered softly, "I was sent to the breakers, after serving for so many decades...it was almost a relief, to my tired old body. So I...don't know how you must have felt, having your crew betray you like that. But...I _do_ know my sister. She will be glad to meet you, if what you told me is true. I'm certain of that."

"I hope you are correct," Seydlitz slumped slightly, before pulling away, "I truly do."

"Don't worry, Indestructible is very kind."

The utter conviction in the younger girl's voice had Seydlitz smiling again, as they continued towards the rapidly approaching Egyptian coast. They would stop in Alexandria to resupply, before moving through Suez...and from there, towards Japan. The Italian girls would split off in favor of a detachment of units from the Indian Navy- or rather, Royal Navy girls on loan to India. The journey was going to be long and fraught with danger. It was fair to say the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific, were far more dangerous than the calm Mediterranean. And Seydlitz had even less knowledge of how to traverse those seas.

But...

It was going to be worth it. Worth all the trouble she could be in. Because Seydlitz would see the girl who had been in her thoughts since she first came back, into an unfamiliar world. The girl who had been more important to her than her own half-siblings. Her own cousins. Seydlitz still had no idea how to put into words what she felt. But after the talk with Implacable...

 _I at least know that I am not alone. We will meet Indestructible, and bring her back._

With a small smile crossing her scarred face, Seydlitz pulled into port in Alexandria. Just a quick stop over, and then back to her long journey!

* * *

"Why do I have the feeling someone is thinking about me?"

"Indestructible-san?"

"It's nothing..."

Shaking her head to clear that random feeling, Indestructible looked down at the destroyer by her side. Fubuki's green eyes stared right back up at her, as the pair of warships slid across the calm water of Yokosuka's training area. Shigure had left to talk with her sister two days ago, apparently the same Yuudachi who had sent Hiei to her sister. The British girl had just shaken her head in amusement at the coincidence, though she did worry that Shigure hadn't shown back up yet.

Even so, the pair of girls remaining had gone to the empty kanmusu training area, to start training Indestructible up to where she could sortie. With Sendai and Jintsuu out helping the convoy with her sister, Indestructible only had the young destroyer to help her. Luckily for her, Fubuki was a patient teacher. Something about struggling herself when she had first been summoned, and making so many amateur mistakes she wondered if she would ever serve. Indestructible found it somewhat hard to reconcile the confident- if soft-spoken -girl with the girl Fubuki described. But then again...people could change. And it was immaterial in the long run, compared to the training she needed to go through.

"Anyway," Fubuki smiled as she changed the topic, "Jintsuu-san showed you how to use your rigging, right?"

"Yes."

"Good! We need to test how well you shoot then," the destroyer kicked her boilers into high gear, speeding over to a target range.

Fubuki zipped and zagged through the targets, only slowing long enough to fire her turrets at the various targets. Her fire was accurate, and quite well performed. Each salvo found a target, splintering the wood. Indestructible was impressed at the skill she saw, and reminded herself that Fubuki had been serving in this form for well over a year.

"Do you think you can do that, Indestructible-san?" the destroyer came to a halt, looking over at the battleship.

Indestructible frowned in concentration, "Maybe. I don't know for sure though."

"Take it slowly then!"

Nodding, the British girl slowly put fire into her boilers. Water kicked up around her shoes, around her bow. Moving at a sedate ten knots, she turned her 15-inch turrets on the targets. Her guns, the same as Hood's, loaded armor piercing shells. Biting her lip, the British girl listened to her...crew? Her 'fairies' as Jintsuu had called them. They listed off targeting data, as her firing computers worked through the range. It was only when her fairies listed off a proper solution, that Indestructible held out a hand.

"Fire!"

What? She was allowed to express herself on occasion.

"Good shot, Indestructible-san!" Fubuki cheered in the distance.

For her part, the battleship felt a grin tug at her lips. The miniature shells had flown straight and true, punching through two targets. The rest of her shells had fallen short or gone too long, but for her first attempt at shooting on the move- albeit slowly -it was a promising result. Her change in form hadn't lost the skill of her gunnery crews, that had fought at Jutland, then. That was good to know. Now, the better question, was how long it would take her to adjust to doing this _herself_.

"Do you think you can move faster?"

Her impromptu tutor had sailed back up to her, as they sailed out to where the targets were at a greater distance. Indestructible was thankful for the calm waters, as she looked at those circular pieces of wood. Hitting them when moving was hard enough as it sat. If the seas were choppy, that would be even more difficult. Granted, she would _need_ practice in that as well. But preferably that would come _after_ the battleship had adjusted to her new body. It wouldn't do to push things too fast. She had learned that lesson from her various Captains and Admirals. Training had to be done _properly_. Otherwise her crew wouldn't know what to do.

Well, otherwise _she_ wouldn't know what to do, in this case.

"I will," Indestructible finally nodded, as she pushed more power into her engines.

Moving up to a headier speed of fifteen knots, Indestructible once more sighted in on her targets. This was going to be a more difficult shot, even for her computers and crew. But she could make it. She _had_ to make it. The sooner this training was done, the sooner she could go out to her sisters. Protect them, like the eldest sibling _should_ be doing.

 _I will protect them, as I should have. I failed that before, but I will_ not _fail again._

The moment her computers and crew had run the data, Indestructible stuck out her hand again.

"Fir..."

"Fubuki-chan!"

The childish shout had Indestructible flinch, her shots going wide. Splashes of water flew up around the targets, though luckily not one hit something more...valuable. Turning her head, the battleship saw a purple-haired blur shooting out to where Fubuki was. Her friend sent the British girl a small smile, shrugging slightly as the blur resolved itself into the form of a destroyer. A... _Fubuki_ -class?

No, on closer inspection this girl was slightly different. Her human body even moreso. Her outfit was different than Fubuki's, stockings covering her legs under a dark skirt with a white shirt. A pendant, the Roman Numeral for three, hung from her shirt and she wore a comically large cap over her long purple hair. Equally purple eyes looked up at the older destroyer, as Indestructible sailed over.

"Who is this?" the British girl asked, her voice soft. It was impossible to feel frustration with such a cute girl.

"Akatsuki-chan," Fubuki answered, "One of my...well...we're technically different classes. But she's probably a half-sister."

Turning to the newly named Akatsuki, the elder destroyer frowned ever so slightly.

"But you're not with your sisters right now. Where are they, Akatsuki-chan?"

"With Tenryuu," the little girl replied, "Admiral Goto told Kaga-san that the summoning went wrong and didn't summon her sister..."

Here the girl trailed off, before her purple eyes lit up.

"But Kongou-san is back instead!"

Understandably, Indestructible twitched at that. Fubuki sent her friend a worried look, before turning to her sister. Akatsuki seemed to have only now notice the battleship, and had moved closer to her sister. Indestructible didn't blame her for that. Or, for that matter, blame her for the name slip-up. Most Japanese girls wouldn't know...wouldn't know to call her by her actual name. To them, she _was_ Kongou. Even if she had never once served in Japan. Or even ported there, beyond her recent summoning. Even her own sisters had fallen prey to that. To blame a girl who looked like she belonged in primary school for that would be...cold-hearted, honestly.

On the _other_ hand...

 _That...that...bloody..._

She most certainly did feel a surge of righteous anger with Goto. The _Commander_ , not Admiral, had been there at her summoning. Admiral Takeda had told her the man had been the one pushing so hard to try and summon Amagi or Tosa, despite both never being completed. And she could remember him. Dark hair and dark eyes, as he was the first one to make the mistake of calling her Kongou. Admiral Takeda had been quick to correct him and defuse the situation, but Indestructible hadn't truly noticed what _Goto_ felt about that.

Well, now she knew.

"Akatsuki-chan," Fubuki sighed softly, "do you know who this is?"

"No?" the little girl squeaked out, "But she looks like a real lady!"

" _This_ ," her elder sibling continued, "Is Indestructible-san. She is Kongou-san, but she doesn't like being called that. After all, she is a British kanmusu!"

The younger destroyer's eyes widened, before she bowed cutely, "I'm sorry Indestructible-san!"

Indestructible just smiled, despite the anger she felt towards a certain someone, "No need to apologize. No harm done...you didn't know. And, on that note..."

Despite herself, despite not wanting to scare the little girl, the British battleship felt her voice harden.

"Do you know where _Commander_ Goto is?"

Akatsuki nodded so fast it was a miracle her hat didn't fly off, "With Tenryuu!"

Fubuki sent another worried look at her friend, "Can you take us there Akatsuki-chan?"

"Yes!"

With that, the tiny little destroyer set off towards shore. Fubuki followed, while Indestructible sighed heavily and did the same. Really, she should have expected something like this. Not everyone was going to accept that she was what she was. Not everyone in Japan _could_ accept that she, despite being Japanese in origin, was _British_ at heart. She had nothing tying her to this nation but her friends, Fubuki and Shigure, and her sisters. Hiei, Haruna, and Kirishima understood that. As did the two destroyers. But it was too much to ask to expect everyone in the nation to do the same. Especially the kanmusu, where things were so much more black and white.

Well, all she could do was head this off and give that man a piece of her mind.

 _I am HMS Indestructible, and they need to bloody well remember that!_


	10. Omake: Indestructible, meet Kongou

**AN: This one is courtesy of Sasahara, so not my work. Did spawn the later omakes in the same series though.**

* * *

-=-

It was a meeting that should never have happened.

Set amidst the backdrop of a setting sun, three groups of people stood and silently observed at each other on the pier. Closer to Yokosuka, were three fast battleships, the Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima. Closer to the end of the pier were the two battlecruisers Irresistible and Implacable.

And both groups watched with silent trepidation at the momentous meeting taking place between them in the centre of the pier.

Japanese Fast Battleship Kongo and the British Battleship Indestructible stood before each other, both young women quietly observing each other. This meeting should have been impossible after all, since they were in truth the same person, or ship girl as it were, separated by a single moment in history that cased their lives to diverge drastically.

It was a meeting that should not have happened… bit it did, and now Indestructible did not know what to think.

So long had she wondered what her life, her destiny, would have been like if the Japanese had not given up on her. So long had the bitterness of her abandonment festered in the darkest corners of her heart. Yet standing before her now was the life she would have led, the ship should would have become, in a history so different Indestructible couldn't wrap her mind around it.

So many people often asked 'what could have been', but never would actually get an answer. Now that Indestructible had gotten hers, she was feeling rather overwhelmed by it all. Her only consolation was that her family, her extended family, was looking just as lost as she was.

Still as a proper British lady, Indestructible knew she at least had to greet her alternate counterpart. Perhaps after formalities were exchanged, they could figure this out together?

Yes, perhaps that was what needed to be done.

Clearing her throat and steeling her courage, Indestructible took the plunge.

"Greeting, Japanese Battleship Kongo. It is my pleasure to meet you. As you are probably aware, my name is-"

"HELLO, NEW FACE!"

"W-Wh-What?"

Indestructible stumbled in fright as her counterpart suddenly exploded into motion. One moment they had been standing six feet from each other in stillness. The next, Kongou was in her face shaking her hand vigorously, the Japanese girls' face beaming with excitement.

"It is NICE to MEET YOU, IN-DESS-TRUCTIBLE! I am KONGO, NAME SHIP of the KONGO CLASS, DESS!"

Blimey, why does she have to be do bloody loud? Indestructible felt her ears ringing even as her arm started to go numb from the iron gripped handshake that threatened to snap the appendage off.

And what was up with the accent?

"So LOVELY to meet you, DESS! We must TALK about of the LOVELY ADVENTURES that you must have had where you're from! HIEI! HARUNA! KIRISHIMA!"

"Hai, Onee-sama!"

The younger fast battleships said in unison as they snapped to attention from where they had been observing the meeting.

"Get the TROLLY, TEA-SET and BISCUITS! We MUST show our BURNING LOVE for our FAMILY in this MOMENTOUS OCCATION with our over TEA, DESS! BURNING FAMILIAL LOVE, DESS!"

"Hai, Onee-sama!"

Indestructible couldn't help but balk as the three Kongo sisters stampeded off, Kirishima remarking something about getting some music and a mic. 'Burning Familial Love'? Who on god's green earth talked like that?

Herself from another life, apparently.

And Kongo still hadn't stopped shaking her hand.

"OH! Almost FOR-GOT!" Kongo darted away from Indestructible and gave her counterpart a respectful bow. "We cannot have a FAMILY MEETING without my PRECIOUS DARLING TEI-TO-KU! Please wait right here while I go and get him, DESS!"

Darling?

Indestructible, quite overwhelmed by what she was seeing (but in a completely different way from before), could only nod her head in affirmation.

"B… By all means, Kongou. Go right ahead. We will just… wait right here."

And then Kongo was gone, taking off like a rocket for the Yokosuka HQ building, a single war cry filling the air as the battleship rushed off to retrieve her 'darling'.

Rushed off like an unstoppable freight train.

"TEI! TO! KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU~!"

God have mercy to anyone in her path.

Indestructible stood rock still, still reeling from the meeting that should not have happened, as Irresistible and Implacable came up to their older sister. The two younger battleships looked completely flummoxed by what had just happened, but their confusion was overridden by the concern they had for their elder sister.

Indestructible was doing a fairly good imitation of a statue after all… and her limp arm, finally released from Kongo's grip, looked like it was about to fall off.

"Indestructible? Are you okay?" Implacable asked.

"Implacable. Irresistable." Indestructible said, turning to face her concerned younger siblings with a blank expression.

"Yes, sister?"

"I believe I speak with full seriousness when I say this," Indestructible said gravely. " **What the bloody hell did you do to me, Japan?** "

In the distance, the sound of something breaking in the Yokosuka Admiral's office could be heard. This sound was quickly followed by a single cry, one that could be heard for miles around…

"BURNING…. LOVE!"


	11. Omake: The Adventures of Indy and Kongou

**Omake: The Adventures of Indy and Kongou: Part I**

"Sis, are you sure this is the right way?"

"Positive."

"Not that I doubt ya, but..."

Indestructible, first of her class, sighed softly. Brushing brown hair from her face, she looked over at her younger siblings. Irresistible was the lucky one, her shorter hair not being plastered to her face by the ever-present rain surrounding the sisters. Implacable was doing her best impersonation of her namesake as per usual, green eyes scanning the area around them. 'The area', in this case, being the ocean off the Japanese coast. Ever since her sisters had arrived, Indestructible had been pushing up her training. That was, indeed, what they were doing now. Training the eldest sister in navigation on the high seas.

It was why her...hanger-on...in Seydlitz was back at Yokosuka actually. The three sisters were identical in performance for the most part, so it was easier to just have all three of them train together like this. On the other hand, it also meant that...the three sisters were alone. If they managed to get lost, it might be a problem with not one of them really familiar with Japanese waters.

With that in mind, Irresistible's question made rather more sense.

"I'm sure this is the right way," Indestructible nodded at her siblings, "My crew agrees."

"So do mine," Irresistible sighed, "But _I_ don't have a bloody clue where we are."

 _That is a strange feeling..._

For her part, Indestructible nodded again. She, the woman she now was, had little idea of where they were. But her fairies, her _crew_ , did. It was a distinctly strange feeling, even now. Strange it may be, but it wasn't important for the moment.

"Regardless," Implacable's soft voice spoke up, "This storm is a problem."

"You're telling me. This thing came out of nowhere."

While Irresistible's voice held it's normal devil-may-care tone, there was an undercurrent of worry in it. An undercurrent that indicated just how _worrisome_ this storm was. Random storm fronts were the domain of Abyssals, the monsters striking from fog and rain. Being in the middle of one had both of the younger battlecruisers on edge. Indestructible herself had yet to gain the experience needed to have the same issues, but then, did that matter? Even she felt a chill whenever she looked out at the dark clouds above the sisters.

"We should head back to shore," the eldest sister finally spoke up again.

"Yeah, doubt we'll do any good out in this."

Implacable merely nodded, still worriedly scanning around the three battlecruisers. With a nod, Indestructible started leading her siblings back towards where her fairies said Japan was. It was almost impossible to tell in this storm though, as the rain began to pick up even more.

 _Now I am worried..._

Pushing her bow through rising waves, Indestructible felt the first true bit of fear since she had entered this storm. It would take something stronger than this to sink her or her siblings, yes. But the Abyssals...well, one could hardly blame her for feeling what she did. Her turrets turned ever so slowly, following her eyes and radar as she scanned around her. Indestructible had been sunk by ambush once before, albeit by a submarine. She was ill-inclined to take risk of the same happening once more. Especially if it were one of her sisters, her dear sisters, who took the blow first.

Trying to avoid thinking of that, the British battleship flinched slightly when lightning struck a little too close to home.

"I think we're nearly out of here," Irresistible tried to sound confident.

"The storm does seem to be lessening," Implacable added.

And indeed, they were right. The storm _was_ clearing, though the dark tint to the sky remained.  
Indestructible wasn't about to let her guard down though, "Stay close. Abyssals may be on the other side."  
It was a testament to how much her siblings- well, more Irresistible who was always the problem child -trusted her, that neither of the younger girls argued. If anything, the three British girls tightened their formation further. All three girls had their turrets ready, as the storm bombarded them with one final fierce downpour before...suddenly stopping. There was no gradual lessening. There was no clearing up.

One second it was raining, the next, nothing.

"...what happened to the storm?"

Irresistible's question was filled with worry, as the girls looked around at the newly clear skies.

"I don't know," Indestructible answered her sister, more than a little worry of her own leaking into her voice.

All around the girls, was bright sunlight. Not a cloud in the sky. And, in the distance, the Japanese coast. Far closer than it should have been, even with the battlecruisers heading in that direction. Something was very strange, and very worrying, here. But what else could they do, but keep going forward? Japan was nearby, and they could think about the strange storm once they were safe in dock. At least, that was what the oldest sister thought.

The battleship did _not_ want to worry her sisters, so it was best to wait.

"Radar has a ship," Implacable, unsurprisingly, was the first to notice something other than the lack of the storm.

And indeed, long brown hair was visible in the distance. Indestructible's sharp eyes recognized the silhouette of the girl. A _Mogami_ -class cruiser, the long brown hair marking her as Kumano. Not a girl she knew well, but...then, did she know _any_ Japanese girls outside her sisters, Fubuki and Shigure _well_? Shaking her head clear of those thoughts, Indestructible moved in front of her siblings and sailed towards Kumano. Between the battlecruiser's thirty knot speed and the cruiser's thirty-five, it didn't take long for the girls to meet up.

But instead of the relief that Indestructible would have expected on Kumano's face- after all, surely vanishing into a vanishing storm would have _at least_ Seydlitz, and most certainly Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima, up in arms -there was...shock? Shock and a hint of fear.

"Kongou-san?" Kumano's voice even lacked it's normally formal tone, as her blue eyes looked at the battlecruisers.

Twitching at that name, Indestructible sighed, "How many bloody times...my name is _Indestructible_. Not Kongou."

"I..." the cruiser blinked, before shaking her heads, "I need you to come with me, please."

"Something is very strange here," Irresistible stage-whispered.

Oh if only they had known...

* * *

Looking down in her tea, Indestructible reflected on how she had ended up in this situation. A situation that had her sitting at a tea table, with her sisters on either side of her. And across from her, like looking in a twisted mirror, was _her_. Or, rather, the Japanese Fast Battleship Kongou. Their faces were the same, perhaps a slightly more Japanese look to Kongou's. Their hair was the same shade and length, long brown tresses cascading down their backs. But where Indestructible wore her's loose, Kongou had her's partially tied up in two _strange_ buns on the side of her head. Of course, that was far from the strangest thing about her.

She also wore a pair of radar antennas as a headband, in the same way Hiei and her sisters had done back...home. And Kongou, unlike Indestructible who wore a customized Royal Navy officer's uniform, wore an outfit like her sisters. In short, other than their faces, hair and eye color, the two looked almost nothing alike.

Nor did they act anything alike either. Indestructible's question of 'what the bloody hell did Japan do to her' had not been in jest. Kongou was even more hyperactive and talkative than Hiei had been. And her younger sister had the British girl reeling back home. The idea that _she_ could be even more genki than _Hiei_ was...well. The personality of her counterpart was so unlike her own, she wondered how they could- technically -be the same person!

"So, you have no idea how you ended up here then?"

"Not at all."

And then there was a _much younger_ Admiral Takeda. The man was sitting next to Kongou, sipping at a tea as he looked at the British girls. He seemed inured to Kongou, who was _purring_ as she leaned against the man.

"Hmm," Takeda set his tea down, "Well, nothing like this has ever happened before. We've had kanmusu end up summoning in strange places, but never kanmusu from another world. I don't know what I can tell you, in all honesty, Indestructible-san. You are, of course, welcome to stay here until we figure something out."

"YES!" Kongou sat up in her seat, grinning at her British counterpart, "You must stay here, INDESSTRUCTIBLE! We have so much to talk about, dess!"

 _And why would I say 'dess' in every other sentence?_

"I..." Indestructible sighed softly, "That is not a problem. I would prefer to go to Britain, but I..."

"They would have even less idea what to do," Takeda nodded sagely, "You never served there, I'm afraid. And your sisters were never built. Well..."

The Japanese man turned his eyes on Implacable, who was rubbing her elder sister's back.

"Implacable here was. I recognized her the moment I saw her."

Understandably, Indestructible and Irresistible turned their heads to look at the youngest sibling. Implacable merely raised an eyebrow, confusion clear in her features. The dark-haired girl turned to look at the Japanese Admiral, who just held up a hand. A small smile crossed his young face, as Takeda looked between the Indestructible sisters.

"HMS Implacable, lead ship of her class of _aircraft carriers._ She returned as a kanmusu some time ago, and looks exactly like you do."

Irresistible broke down into giggles at the flabbergasted look on her younger sister's face, "Oi, you became a nameship little sis? And a _carrier_ at that? You little traitor!"

"I..." Implacable, for once, had no idea how to respond to that.

"SEE," Kongou was little help, "You aren't alone, dess! Your sister also has a TWIN!"

Takeda chuckled quietly, "The situation is a little more complex than that Kongou."

"But we are TWINS, tei~to~ku~!"

As the Admiral fended off Kongou's advances, Indestructible slumped in her seat, putting her head in her hands.

 _Bloody hell, I don't know how I'm going to deal with this..._

Irresistible's continued giggles were little help.


	12. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Indestructible was a bundle of cold, righteous anger, as she walked through Yokosuka. Beside her, a worried Fubuki, casting glances between the battleship and her younger half-sister. Akatsuki, for her part, was in the front of the little formation. The tiny destroyer was ducking between other kanmusu and human soldiers alike, as she lead the group. Lead them to where Commander Goto supposedly waited, telling people that _Kongou_ was back. That fact was the source of Indestructible's anger. Understandable anger, considering her situation and feelings on the matter.

The British girl had forgiven her sisters for calling her by that name. Forgiven Akatsuki. For in both cases, it was a mistake born of ignorance.

This...this was not the same. Deliberately calling her 'Kongou' and spreading that around? Either Goto was a nationalist who could not accept that she was British, or the man was _blindingly stupid_. Indestructible wasn't sure which was worse, or if it really mattered. He could take his reason, and shove it...

 _Calm down. Anger will do no good here._

Forcing a breath down, the British battleship continued to follow behind the young destroyer. It would do her no favors to go into this situation with her anger controlling her actions. The last time she had let her anger rule her, was Jutland. And while she had _almost_ succeeded in sinking SMS _Seydlitz_ to to that, she did not fondly remember the occasion. Indestructible had blanked out in her anger, and she did not want the same to happen here. She...it was selfish, she knew that. But Indestructible valued her friendship with Fubuki far too much to let her see _that_ side of her.

"Indestructible-san?"

Speaking of which, the girl in question sent a worried look up at her. Indestructible just smiled weakly in return.

"I'm fine, Fubuki."

"No you aren't...you remind me of Murakumo."

"...who?"

Fubuki smiled softly, "My sister. She's got a temper worse than anyone I know. The way you look right now...it reminds me of her. You aren't going to...?"

"Hurt anyone? Of course not." Indestructible sighed heavily. "That said, I _will_ ensure that _Commander Goto_ knows his place. I will _not_ have anyone treating me like I am Japan's property. Bloody hell...I..."

Clenching her fist in her skirt, the British girl shook her head.

"Sorry. This is just...rather personal for me."

"I know." Fubuki placed a hand on Indestructible's arm, as they entered a building behind Akatsuki.

Sending her a small smile, Indestructible squared her shoulders and scanned the room. There were three girls Akatsuki's age in one corner, though only two looked like sisters. Both had short hair- well, one had her hair tied up -of similar shades. The other girl had hair of the same style as Akatsuki and wore the same cap, but her hair was snow-white. Next to them was a taller and...remarkably well _stacked_...light cruiser. That must have been Tenryuu, then. Which meant...

 _There._

Standing at the other end of the room, was a familiar face. Commander Goto, deep in conversation with a kanmusu. A girl wearing a white shirt, some form of armored chest piece, and a blue skirt. From that, Indestructible would not have recognized her. But she _did_ recognize her silhouette. Kaga, second large carrier in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

"Goto."

Indestructible did not yell. She did not rage. However, her voice was colder than the fog of her home in Britain. The Japanese man looked up, his face expressionless. Kaga did as well, though her stoic features did shift ever so slightly before she moved aside.

"Kongou." The Commander nodded back.

"That is not my name, as you are well aware."

"So you say."

The other girls had moved aside by now, leaving Indestructible and Goto alone. Alone to stare each other down, brown eyes into black eyes. Neither made a move, nor said anything. It came down to who blinked first...and that was the Commander, Indestructible fully capable of keeping this up for as long as she needed to.

"Why are you here, Kongou?" The Japanese man finally asked.

Eyes narrowing, Indestructible glared at Goto, " _That_ is why. You are more than aware my name is Indestructible. Admiral Takeda corrected you on that the moment I was summoned."

"Ah, that. So he did." Goto's voice remained annoyingly impassive. "Nonetheless, your name was Kongou. You only hold that _British_ name, as a fluke."

"A..." Indestructible felt her temper rising, her face heating up in anger. "A fluke?"

"Precisely. We should never have sold you, that I admit." The Commander continued. "However, that does not change the fact you are _Japanese_. Look in a mirror, and deny that point."

Even Fubuki gasped at that statement, moving towards Indestructible. For her part, the British girl took a deep breath, and waved her friend down. Brown eyes hardened, as she turned her strongest glare on the Japanese Commander.

"Funny. I was not aware that merely looking like someone made me the same." Indestructible's voice was cold enough to freeze Antarctica. "Were that the case, would that mean that Hiei is Scottish? You have seen her skirt, I would assume."

Goto frowned, "Of course not. Her skirt is not..."

"Not the same? Oh, but if my features make me Japanese, then Hiei's skirt should make her Scottish. After all, outward appearance is apparently enough to judge someone." Despite her words, there was no mocking tone in Indestructible's voice. Instead, she merely raised an eyebrow at Goto. "More appropriately, I _dare_ you to tell a Japanese-American they are not American. I doubt you would do that, yet you _dare_ to say I am not British, merely because of how I _look_?"

"You are a Japanese de..."

Indestructible raised an eyebrow, "And George Owens-Thurston is Japanese too. Is _everyone_ Japanese?"

Honestly, the British girl didn't even know what to _think_ about what Goto was saying now. She didn't know if the man was that blind, or what it was. Yes, she had Japanese features. Indestructible still felt awkward about _how_ Japanese she looked, and how to reconcile that with her British heritage. But it did not do a _thing_ to change the fact she was British at heart. Goto, seemed unable to understand that. Was he blinded by what she may have been? Focused too much on the hope that she would prefer to be Kongou, than Indestructible? Or just a bigot who thought she should serve her 'homeland' first and foremost?

She didn't know the answer to that question.

And honestly, she didn't _care_. Indestructible could care less what Goto's motives or thoughts were. If the man would continue to insist she was Kongou despite everything to the contrary, he didn't deserve her care. He deserved nothing from her. Indestructible would merely ignore Goto, and let him do whatever he pleased. Admiral Takeda was on her side, and that was more than enough. If need be, she would have the Admiral tell the kanmusu who she _really_ was. See Goto deal with _that_! Bloody wanker.

"I honestly don't care why you think I _want_ that name." Indestructible continued. "I gave up on that name, when Japan _tossed me aside_. You have no loyalty from me. The only loyalty I have to this nation, is to my sisters and new friends. You? You have _nothing_. Continue to refer to me by _that name_ instead of my proper name, Indestructible, and you will make me an enemy. You do not want me as an enemy, as that would mean you are also the enemy of my sisters."

A small smirk crossed the British girl's lips.

" _All_ my sisters."

And considering that every battlecruiser in the Royal Navy newer than her was like a younger sister to her? Goto did _not_ know what he was walking into. If the man realize that or not, was hard to say. All the Commander did was pull his cap down, shaking his head.

"I see you are going to be difficult about this. Very well, _Kongou_."

Nothing more was said, as Goto left the room. Silence followed him, until _Tenryuu_ of all girls broke down laughing.

"Damn, that was somethin." The eyepatch-wearing cruiser turned to Indestructible with a fierce smirk on her face. "I like ya, Indestructible. Stop by the barracks some time, I owe ya a drink for that one."

Smirk not leaving her face, Tenryuu corralled her charges and left the room herself. That left Indestructible alone with Fubuki, and the silent Kaga. The former looked like she wanted to say something, but Indestructible held up her hand. Her attention was on Kaga, and the same could be said for the aircraft carrier. Both warships stared the other down, equally brown eyes observing the other. Neither broke the silence, despite an increasingly uncomfortable Fubuki looking like she wanted to tug Indestructible from the room.

The silence would continue, until one of them made a move. And Indestructible was unsure which of them it should be. Both of these girls had good reason to talk to the other. The same reason, in point of fact. Tosa. Indestructible had come back in place of that incomplete battleship, for some reason. A reason she was still unsure of, to say the least. And Kaga...perhaps more than anyone, this girl had reason to question that. Tosa was _her sister_. How could she possibly feel abou...

"Come with me."

Kaga finally spoke, her voice as emotionless as her expression. She nodded at a side room, sending a significant look at Fubuki.

Indestructible nodded, smiling at her worried friend, "Understood."

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

A smile that went away, the moment she entered into the side room. Kaga stood by a table, face inscrutable. Brown eyes followed Indestructible, as the battleship took position by the door.

"I assume this is about my summoning?" Indestructible asked warily.

Kaga inclined her head, "Indeed."

"How much do you know?"

"Enough."

While the single word responses were a bit frustrating, Indestructible couldn't blame the carrier for them. She could only imagine how _she_ would react, were Tosa summoned in the place of Invincible. And the elder battlecruiser was not even, truly, her sister. How could Kaga feel? Seeing the girl summoned in place of her sister, right in front of her?

"I...apologize." The British battleship sighed softly. "I know it's not much, but I am sorry that..."

"Stop." Kaga's voice was the same, even as her face twisted ever so slightly. "Don't apologize, Indestructible-san. You are not at fault here."

 _That_ brought the British girl up short, "Pardon?"

"As I said." The carrier continued. "You are not at fault for the circumstances of your summoning, nor do I blame you."

Indestructible frowned, "But I came back in place of your sister."

"So you did. However..."

Still, there was no outward change in either voice or expression from Kaga. But Indestructible...she was nothing if not observant. Her sisterly instincts were in full force as well, as she looked into the brown eyes opposite her. There was pain in those eyes, even if Kaga refused to show or acknowledge it. How long had...had she been dealing with this pain? And had anyone else even noticed? It wasn't like it was with her. Indestructible had, when she returned to Britain, people she could go to. Invincible. Her sisters. Who did Kaga have? Houshou, perhaps. Or Akagi. But no...

No siblings.

 _I can't even imagine what it must feel like to not have sisters. How does Kaga deal with that?_

"I learned to accept, long ago, that Tosa-neesan was not likely to come back." Kaga continued, voice changing tone ever so slightly.

"How can you be..." Indestructible began, only to be cut off once more.

"It is impossible to be certain. However, the odds are slim enough that I...do not hope for what is likely impossible."

Indestructible didn't know what to think about that, "How can you not hope that your only sister will return?"

"Because she was never completed, I am aware it is highly unlikely." Kaga finally sighed, very softly. So softly it was almost silent. "Indestructible-san, I did not ask you to follow me to pity me."

"Then why?" Indestructible replied. "Why did you bring me in here?"

Kaga's eyes narrowed, "To ask why you are so loyal to Britain."

Understandably, Indestructible's equally brown eyes narrowed as well, "Bloody hell...don't tell me you're like Goto."

"Not at all, and you will find few of us _are_." The other girl replied. "However, this has nothing to do with Admiral Goto. This is my own curiosity. I am a loyal carrier of the Japanese Navy, and the Japanese people. I will fight for my nation, bleed for my nation, and if need be...die for my nation. That is what all kanmusu should strive towards."

The carrier gestured at Indestructible's uniform.

"I am merely curious, what Britain has done to earn _your_ loyalty."

That was an easy, and yet difficult, question to answer. Indestructible knew that she was loyal to her adoptive home, to the death. What Kaga had said for Japan, could be reversed and said for Britain by the battleship. But the answer wasn't that simple either was it? Indestructible doubted Kaga would accept such a simple answer at any rate. Especially after what she had told Goto. Not one of those words would be taken back, but the fact remained, it showed just _how_ loyal she was to her homeland. To her sisters, cousins, and leaders. Britain was...

It was home.

 _Hm. Perhaps, that is the only answer I need._

"Britain is my home." Indestructible turned to face Kaga better. "The only home I've ever known. I may not have been built for them, designed for them, or ever intended to serve in the Royal Navy. But where Japan threw me away, Britain saved me and gave me sisters. Despite the fact they didn't need to, they did. Is it any wonder I am so loyal to them?"

Kaga sighed almost imperceptibly again, "No, it is not. Perhaps, I understand that better than you imagine."

"Tosa..." Indestructible whispered.

The carrier smiled humorlessly, "Tosa-neesan. I lost her in the way you were nearly lost, Indestructible-san. I am glad to see you understand that...there are very few I feel who do. I would enjoy talking with you further."

Even as she said that, Kaga began to move to the door.

"For now, I am being deployed with Akagi-san. I am thankful for your time."

"Kaga. Wait." Indestructible moved to block the door.

"Yes?"

The battleship moved forward, pulling the shocked carrier into a hug. Kaga went stiff in Indestructible's grip, clearly unable to understand what was happening. For her part, Indestructible just...did as she always did. Perhaps it was Invincible's influence. Perhaps it was her own personality. But she _hated_ to see others in pain. If she could do something about it, she would. And somehow, she doubted Kaga had ever had anyone to help her like this. The girl was younger than Indestructible as well, however much she didn't show it.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I will be here." Indestructible whispered. "So long as I am in Japan, at least. And while I am here...I will talk to Admiral Takeda. I still don't know how I was summoned instead of Tosa. But if it is in my power, I will do what I can to get you your sister. No one...no one should have to go through life without their sister."

And Indestructible would do anything and everything she could to help. She firmly believed in the importance of having a sister there to help you. And she would do what she could to make sure Kaga had her sister.


	13. Omake: The Adventures of IndyKongou II

**Omake: The Adventures of Indy and Kongou II**

"Daiki? Why are you calling me at this hour?"

"Blake, we have a problem."

"Problem?"

Admiral Takeda pulled down his cap, "Tell me, do you know of an HMS Indestructible? Or Irresistible?"

"Personally, no. Hood?" Admiral Smith, a man a few years Takeda's senior, looked over his shoulder.

HMS Hood, resplendent as ever in her red uniform, shook her head slowly, "We have never had an Indestructible sir. Irresistible was last used for a _Formidable_ -class pre-dreadnought sunk at the Dardanelles."

"Well that answers that question." Smith nodded, before turning back to his friend. "Now, why do you need to know that Daiki? I rather doubt it has anything to do with a history lesson."

In response, Takeda pulled out a picture. A picture he had Haruna take earlier in the day, of all the 'Kongou Clan' together. It had the expected reaction, as both Smith and Hood flinched back. Clearly, they had no more idea of what was going on than he did. Which was unfortunate, as the strange girls who had ended up in his care were British. Doubly unfortunate, because Kongou had told him that her...sister...clone...whatever he could call Indestructible, considered Hood a sister.

A sister who would have no idea who she was.

On top of that, the British pair would certainly recognize Implacable, if nothing else. Her carrier counterpart was quite famous, one of the best of the Armored Carriers. Her skill against the Abyssals was legendary. So seeing a girl who looked identical to her, save her different uniform, would be a shock in it's own right. Really, Takeda wouldn't blame his friend if the man was unable to contemplate what was going on. It still gave _him_ a headache really.

"Daiki..." Smith finally spoke up, looking at his friend with a shocked expression. "What in the _bloody hell_ is going on? How did you get Implacable? And a second Kongou?"

"That 'second Kongou' is HMS Indestructible," Daiki replied with a shrug. "More appropriately, HMS Indestructible, the first of her class. Of which there are two...Irresistible, and Implacable."

"Inde..." Hood whispered. "Is that not what Kongou _means_ in English?"

Takeda nodded, "Indeed it is. Near as I can tell, Indestructible and her sisters come from another world. One where Japan decided to abandon her before completion, and _you_ finished her. How she came to be in _our_ world, is something we don't know the answer to."

"Bloody hell..." Smith held a hand to his face. "Bloody hell. What do you expect us to do, Daiki?"

"I won't ask you to take her in." The Japanese Admiral replied softly. "However, it may not hurt to send Hood our way. If nothing else, so you can get to know Indestructible. If we can't figure out a way to send her home..."

What was left unsaid, was that she would be stuck in Britain in the event that happened.

"Well, I can..." Smith began, before a scream cut him off. Not a scream from his end however.

"BURNING...LOVE!"

"BLOODY HELL!"

Two identical voices, save for the British accent of the latter, echoed through the base. Along with the sound of breaking furniture. And falling battleships. Takeda shook his head fondly at that, while the pair across the world felt sweat run down their faces.

"I should probably make sure they're okay." Takeda turned back to the screen. "Can you get her here, Blake?"

Hood turned to her Admiral, "I can do it sir. Repulse can take my place for now."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

Daiki sent a nod at his old friend, "Good. Now, I need to go. See you later, Blake."

"You as well, Daiki."

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

Meanwhile, across the base, Indestructible felt the weight of her twin on her body. Kongou had jumped her out of nowhere, screaming 'Burning Love' at the top of her lungs. And the British girl hadn't the foggiest idea _why_. All she knew was that her Japanese counterpart was even more random than she had thought! And that was saying something! It hardly helped that Kongou had only pulled away enough to look down, identical eyes looking at Indestructible.

"Why are you...?" The British battleship tried to ask.

"I wanted to SHOW you something, dess!"

"Was tackling me necessary?"

"You are my SISTER. I was just showing you my BURNING FAMILIAL LOVE!"

There was _that_ again as well.

"Yes, well, I love my sisters as well. I just don't..." Indestructible began, before Kongou jumped off her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"YOU UNDERSTAND, DESS!"

 _I really don't..._

It was only when Kongou finally released her, that the British girl could recover her bearings. Soft giggles drew her attention to Haruna and Implacable, standing further away. There was no sign of Irresistible, Hiei or Kirishima though. Indestructible wondered why that was the case, even as she turned her eyes back on her Japanese twin. Kongou's brilliant and cheerful grin had yet to fade in the slightest. If anything, it had widened even further. Which was _saying something_. Bloody hell, Indestructible didn't know her face _could_ smile that widely.

"Follow me!" Kongou pulled on her arm, dragging the British girl towards her sisters.

"Implacable, _please_ tell me you know what is going on?" Indestructible asked, when she moved past her sister.

"Not at all." Her sibling shrugged helplessly.

"Haruna?"

The most soft-spoken of the Kongou sisters simply smiled, "It is a secret. Sorry, Indestructible-oneesan."

 _Figures._

All Indestructible could do was let her twin drag her along, her youngest siblings falling in line behind them. All of the battleships- well, battleships and battlecruiser -moved through the halls of Yokosuka's base, other kanmusu jumping out of the way. More than a few did a double-take at the 'two Kongous'. Understandably so...when a ship girl was summoned, she was summoned. You _didn't_ get duplicates. Moreover, Indestructible's uniform was probably throwing most of them off in its own right. She imagined, to those used to Kongou, seeing someone who looked _just like her_ in a British uniform must have seemed decidedly odd.

Not that the situation wasn't odd for Indestructible herself, of course. Seeing these girls- several of whom she at least had a passing familiarity with by now -looking at her like that? It wasn't uncomfortable, necessarily. But it wasn't fun either. She counted herself lucky to have not met either Shigure or Fubuki yet. Her best friends in Japan...meeting them would be almost as bad as her Japanese sisters.

One of whom was waiting outside a door. Kirishima, more specifically, pushing her glasses up her nose as usual.

"Welcome back oneesama." The battleship spoke up. "Everything is ready."

"Where IS Irresistible?" Kongou looked around, eyes looking for the middle Indestructible sister. "She needs to be here too, dess!"

"Right here oneesama!" Hiei came sprinting into view, dragging Irresistible behind her, much as Kongou had done with her British twin.

"What in God's name is going on?" Irresistible complained.

"That's what I want to know." Indestructible agreed.

All she got, though, was another Kongou-grin. The Japanese version of her walked up to the door, flinging it open.

"In here, dess!"

The sisters marched into the room, Japanese first and British second. And it was the latter, who came up short. Gasps came from all three of them, but none were as loud as Indestructible's own. Her shocked brown eyes looked at the room, before turning to Kongou. Her twin merely grinned, as Indestructible turned back to look at the room.

A large Union Jack was hung from the wall, a tea set underneath it. The beds were British style, not Japanese. Three beds, one under the window and the other two on either wall. Each bed had a version of Kongou's outfit on it, with a British officer cap atop the modified miko clothing. Moreover, the beds were color coordinated...brown for the window, green for the left wall, and red for the right wall. Color-coordinated beds _and_ skirts. Each the same color as the eyes of one of the Indestructible sisters. And sitting on the center table, was a very _British_ dinner, painstakingly organized exactly like it would be at home.

 _I...this..._

Indestructible felt a warm feeling run through her chest, even as she turned to look at Kongou. Tears were in her eyes, tears of happiness. A watery smile crossed the old girl's lips, as she looked at her twin.

"You did...?" She managed to ask.

Kongou's grin had faded into a soft smile, "We DID, dess. You are our SISTERS, Indestructible. We love our sisters, and wanted to do something to make you feel at HOME, dess. Is it good?"

"It's bloody brilliant, is what it is..." Irresistible breathed out, walking to her bed- the red one, the shade exactly the same as her eyes.

"I agree." Implacable nodded, turning to Haruna. "Thank you."

And all Indestructible could do, was smile at her twin, "Yes. _Thank you_...Kongou."

"No problem dess!" Kongou's grin was back, as she gestured at the loaded table. "Dinnertime!"

And for the first time since she had ended up in this situation, Indestructible felt at home.


	14. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"Stormy."

"Yup."

"Is the Indian Ocean normally this...?"

"No, not at all."

Seydlitz frowned at that, looking out at the imposing storm in the distance. She didn't like the look of that storm, not in the slightest. Storms were...not a good thing. Storms presaged Abyssals, so often. And while the scarred girl would be the _last_ one to back down from a fight, she would prefer to not deal with the monsters. Seydlitz's area of operation- where she was designed to fight -was the North Sea or Baltic. Those relatively small areas were her home and where she was most effective. The Med, she could have fought in as well. Out in the wide expanses of the Indian Ocean?

The German was less than comfortable at the idea of fighting out here.

Moreover, not only was she out of her element...she was out _classed_ as well. Her escorts, the Italians replaced by HMS Victorious, HMS Repulse, and a gaggle of destroyers...all of them were faster than her. Even Irresistible and Implacable were three knots her superior. Seydlitz only bore 11-inch rifles. And while those guns were the best of their caliber at the time they were made, they were woefully outdated now. So...it was not an understatement, to say she was worried she would do more to weigh down her comrades than help them.

 _I worry this may be due to me, as well..._

"Hey, 'litz?" Irresistible called back to her from the front of the formation. "You okay to fight if we need to?"

"Ja!" Seydlitz replied, with more confidence than she felt.

"Good! 'Cause we may have to!" Even as she yelled that, the middle Indestructible sister turned to her carrier counterpart. "Vicky, see anything?"

Victorious rolled blue eyes, brushing brown hair from her face, "No. My Seafires haven't seen anything, past the storms. I will have to pull them back soon, as well."

"You really need Corsairs Vicky. Seafires are nice and all, but they don't have any bloody range."

"I am aware, _thank_ you, Irresistible."

In other circumstances, Seydlitz may have cracked a smile or giggled at the friendly insults. As it sat though, she felt a sense of foreboding fear as she looked at the storm. Implacable, having taken to sailing beside her ever since they had talked about Indestructible, placed a hand on the German girl's shoulder.

"Hey, is there something wrong?" The soft-spoken battlecruiser asked.

"...ja." Seydlitz couldn't lie to this girl, even if she wanted to.

"Do you want to tell me?" Implacable looked at the girl seriously.

"It is...difficult to talk about. But if those are Abyssals, I worry they may be here because _I_ am here."

Implacable frowned, "Why would..."

"Sis!"

Irresistible's shout had both battlecruisers looking forward. Not a moment too soon, as the storm broke in front of them. Broke, and revealed a formation of Abyssals. Ten destroyers at the front, their slim bodies scything through the water at well over thirty knots. A group of cruisers came up behind them, covering two Ru-class battleships. Who for their part, covered a girl that had a shiver running down Seydlitz's spine. Her green eyes widened, a hint of fear in them, as she shifted closer to Implacable.

Few things brought fear for Seydlitz. Her scars were not for show, after all. She was a girl who had no problems with diving into the heart of a battle, taking hits and dishing them out. But...

 _No...not again._

The girl at the center of the Abyssal formation did. Familiar, twisted forms of 8-inch gun turrets angled directly at _her_. Double gunned turrets, their sleek lines marred by Abyssal growths. A cut-down and torn superstructure, equally ruined torpedo tubes shining menacingly in the sunlight. And the girl herself? Glowing green eyes, set in a face that might otherwise be called beautiful. One that Seydlitz knew quite well, even with the lank black hair tied back in a ponytail that surrounded it.

"Seydlitz..." Implacable shook her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

The worry in her new friend's voice got the German shaking her head, "The flagship. She and I...have a history, ja? Every time I leave the Baltic and fight Abyssals, she is there. I have..."

Taking a breath, Seydlitz turned her old turrets to the Abyssal formation.

"I have ideas on why. But now is not the time to talk, ja?"

Implacable's stoic features hid her own feelings, but the British battlecruiser nodded nonetheless, "Right."

"If you two are done," HMS Repulse spoke up, as she moved forward from her flagship position. "We need to move. Implacable, stay with Seydlitz. Irresistible and I will handle the front. Victorious, concentrate on the Ru-class. Destroyers, keep their destroyers off our backs."

"Understood!"

The Royal Navy girls snapped off salutes, moving into their assigned positions. Seydlitz rotated her bow and wing turrets to firing position, but held fire. Her range was seven kilometers short of the larger guns on her British counterparts. There was little reason for her to waste ammunition, in that regard. Moreover...her attention remained on the twisted warship at the center of the Abyssal formation, even as the destroyers on both sides began to move forward.

Seydlitz could only watch, as the little girls in Royal Navy uniforms fired their 4.7-inch guns and torpedoes flew from both Abyssal and ship girl. The British girls were experts at this close-in combat, their young bodies twisting and turning, presenting their bows to the Abyssal fire. For their parts, the twisted destroyers were not quite as agile, four falling in the first volley. The remaining destroyers split their formation, firing their own four-inch weapons at the British destroyers. Seydlitz winced, as one of the British girls fell out of formation, clutching her arm as smoke poured from a crippled turret.

 _I want to help. But I am too far away..._

And she was already pushing her old boilers as hard as they could go. Seydlitz had hit twenty-eight knots, but even going above her designed speed wasn't enough.

"Fire!" Irresistible shouted from the front of the formation, her own fifteen-inch rifles roaring.

Repulse did the same, eight of the powerful shells flying between the two girls. Their target's were two of the Abyssal cruisers, the twisted mockeries not even attempting to dodge. Abyssals rarely did.

And they paid for that, as one cruiser was split in half, her hull crumpling under the fire. The other warship blew apart, Repulse's shell piercing the magazine for her six-inch guns. The smoke from that detonation only covered the hulking form of the Ru-class battleships for a few seconds however. Those two girls came out of the smoke, sixteen-inch guns roaring through the smaller noise from the dueling destroyers.

"Break!"

The forward line of the British formation split apart, the shells falling all around the agile battlecruisers. Seydlitz grit her teeth, waiting until her own weapons could open fire. Beside her, Implacable had no such qualms. Her powerful rifles fired on the Abyssal formation, shells crashing into the belt of one of the Ru's. The Abyssal battleship staggered, her armor pierced by the British steel. Blood and oil flowed from the wound, but the Abyssal only slowed slightly, her guns orienting on Implacable. At least...until the Abyssal cruiser at the center of the formation held up a hand.

Ru looked back, cocking her head slightly. The cruiser shook her own head, her ponytail swaying as she turned her glowing green eyes on _Seydlitz_. The Ru nodded, her own turrets shifting slightly from Implacable, to the German battlecruiser.

"I was right..." Seydlitz breathed, even as she started to turn to dodge the inevitable fire.

If the Abyssal cared, she didn't show it. Even with blood and oil leaking from her flank, the Abyssal's guns followed Seydlitz's move, already preparing to fire.

 _No..._

"Get out of there 'litz!" Irresistible screamed, as she traded fire with an Abyssal Ri-class heavy cruiser.

Even as she did that, Seydlitz knew her turn was only slowing down fate. Those guns were more than enough to end her. Her armor, so great for her time, could never stand up to sixteen-inchers. Her own guns roared, eleven-inch death shooting at the Abyssal. But it wouldn't be enough.

"I'm sorry. Indestructible..."

Shutting her eyes, even as she continued her turn on instinct, Seydlitz waited for the sound of water shooting up around her. The pain of modern shells punching through her old belt.

Neither ever came.

"Thank you, Victorious." Implacable's soft voice had Seydlitz opening her green eyes.

Her British friend had moved in front of her, shielding the German with her own hull. Even though Seydlitz's unmodernized armor was _still_ thicker. Even though shells of that caliber would just as easily kill _her_. Implacable was still covering her. Unsure of how to react to that, Seydlitz instead turned her eyes to look past Implacable. And she saw the Ru class, sinking beneath the waves. Clear impact points from her own gunfire were evident, the battleship's deck armor pierced and one of her turrets blown apart.

But it was equally clear it had been a torpedo from a Barracuda off Victorious that had finished the warship off.

"Are you okay, Seydlitz?"

Turning back to Implacable, the German nodded, "Ja."

"You were targeted directly."

"Ja..."

Implacable nodded, turning to look at the Abyssals. Her green eyes locked onto the glowing eyes of the Abyssal leader, even as the remaining monsters fell back into the storm. It was only when they were gone, leaving behind a sea stained red, that Implacable turned back to the smaller battlecruiser.

"You have a lot to tell me, I'm sure."

Seydlitz could only nod, the chill of what had almost happened still in her body.

 _I know who that Abyssal is. Why she is so determined to sink_ me _as to follow me all the way here._

* * *

 _"_ Admiral Takeda."

"Indestructible. Is there something you need me for?"

The British girl sighed softly, "Yes. I have talked with Kaga."

"Ah, I see. I assume this is about Commander Goto?"

"Partially, but not entirely." Indestructible shook her head. "That man is... _a bloody fool_. But I can deal with that. Actually, I was going to ask you about Tosa."

"Tosa?" Takeda's eyebrow went up. "How much do you know?"

"That I was summoned instead of her. That she was incomplete, and used as a target before you scuttled her."

That was the bare-bones, so to speak. Indestructible only knew that much, since with so many of her sisters- cousins, to be technical -being scrapped, she had her Captain of the time mention what had happened to other nation's ships. Tosa...mostly complete, at least to the point she had been launched and could have started fitting out. Instead, she was used as a target ship and scuttled to keep to the Treaty. Indestructible still felt a hint of pain thinking about all the girls who died or were never born because of those Treaties, and this was no different.

Admittedly, she had a more personal stake in Tosa than most, now.

As such, she turned back to Takeda. The Japanese man had pulled his hat down, covering his eyes. She could see a hint of pain in his aged features however. It was likely, then, that he knew why she was asking this. Which was a good thing, since it made Indestructible's task easier. If he knew why she was asking, then he would know what to say. She could only hope it was a positive.

"It is that reason we believe she did not come back." Takeda finally spoke, gruff voice hiding any pain he may be feeling. "I, personally, believe that fully. She has no reason to come back, to a nation that betrayed her like that. It does nothing to explain why _you_ replaced her, but I doubt that is why you are asking. Especially if you talked with Kaga."

"I don't care why I came back in Japan..." Which was a lie, but no need for him to know that. "But after talking with Kaga, I made a promise to her. That I would do anything I could, to get Tosa back."

Takeda sighed softly, "I assumed you would say something like that, Indestructible. You are aware of the difficulties in doing so?"

Indestructible nodded, "Yes. At least, somewhat. Fubuki told me it takes resources to summon one of us, and that it doesn't always work even then."

"Indeed. Or it will work, but we will summon the wrong kanmusu. Albeit, you are the first case of a summoning in the wrong nation." The Admiral nodded slightly. "Now, you can increase the difficulty when it comes to summoning a girl like Tosa. The Americans succeeded in summoning Hawaii. The Germans likewise did the same with Graf Zeppelin, and I believe the Italians are soon to try for Aquila. So it _is_ possible. However, it is difficult and not by any means a guarantee, even leaving out an incident like you."

A sigh came from the British girl, "That is more complex than I imagined. Still, can we at least attempt it? I do not want to be a liar, Admiral."

"You don't have to be. I can understand why you want to help Kaga. Blake, that is Admiral Smith, has told me how the British kanmusu view you. A surrogate sister. You likely don't want Kaga to be without her sister?"

That was hitting the proverbial nail on the head, even as it made Indestructible flush slightly. She _did_ view the younger battlecruisers like that. But hearing that they reciprocated, even now? Well, it was enough to send a rush of heat through her system. Embarrassment for sure, but happiness as well. She really _couldn't_ wait to meet her sisters again, now.

But...

 _That's the future. Focus._

For now, she needed to focus on the issue at hand. Summoning Tosa. Clearly, something needed to be done differently from the normal summoning. If a normal one was likely to end up with the wrong kanmusu- again -or just be a waste of resources, then she couldn't ask Admiral Takeda to do that. Indestructible respected the man, despite everything. And she didn't want to hurt him, more than he already had been by her being summoned instead. In that vein, she had to figure out something to make it more likely they could summon Tosa. But... _what_...was that?

"I would suggest you talk more with Kaga, before we try." Takeda interrupted her line of thought.

"Why?" Indestructible asked, confusion lining her voice.

Takeda smiled slightly, "My next plan if we attempted to summon Tosa again, was to have Kaga present. I believe having her aid may make her sister more receptive to our attempts. In that regard, I want you to talk with her. See if she is willing to try. Figure out a plan."

Indestructible nodded, "Right. Thank you, Admiral. You're a lot more reasonable than that wan...Commander Goto."

"Rest assured Indestructible, I will talk with him as well."

With that said, Takeda nodded and went to continue whatever his work was. And as he left, Indestructible turned aside herself. She knew Kaga was on patrol with Akagi, so her secondary goal came to mind.

Namely, finding out where Shigure had vanished to.


	15. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

"Fubuki."

"Ah!"

Indestructible raised an elegant eyebrow, as she watched her friend hold a hand to her chest. As a battleship, surely the British girl wasn't _that_ stealthy. Right? Right. So why, then, had she shocked Fubuki so badly?

"Is something wrong?" The British girl asked softly.

"No! You just surprised me." Fubuki replied, smile on her face now that she had calmed her heart down. "You're quiet, Indestructible-san."

Deciding to take that as a compliment, Indestructible started walking with Fubuki. The little destroyer sent her a curious look, as the British battleship sighed softly. She wasn't sure how to phrase her next question, but it _was_ important to her. She was...missing her friend. Fubuki was her friend too, of course, but Indestructible felt more secure talking with _Shigure_ about some things. But she had no idea where the other destroyer was. She hadn't seen Shigure in a couple days, and it worried her. What if the other girl had been hurt?

Or, far worse...sunk?

 _I hope she is okay._

While she hadn't inadvertently 'adopted' Shigure as she had her younger battlecruiser counterparts, that did little to alleviate Indestructible's worry in the long run. She was a worrier, always had been. It was why she still wanted her sisters to return, to train _with them,_ and be able to protect them. Even though she knew Shigure, and Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima for that matter, were more capable of fighting than she was. Indestructible was the one who wanted to fight in their places, and...

Well.

"Do you know..." Indestructible sighed softly. "Where Shigure is? I wouldn't ask, but..."

"You're worried?"

Once more, the British girl raised her appreciation for how _good_ Fubuki was at seeing through her.

"Yes. I know I shouldn't be, but..."

Fubuki smiled sadly, "I know, Indestructible-san. Shigure-chan can...well, even when she likes someone she sometimes wants to be alone. You know why?"

"She's worried she'll 'curse' them."

"Exactly. She's...more a cousin than a sister but I know her pretty well. I know most of the destroyers well actually, since I came back so early!"

There was a bit of false cheer in Fubuki's voice, and Indestructible couldn't find it in herself to blame the other girl. Clearly, _both_ of them were worried about Shigure.

"Can we find her?" The British girl asked softly. "I'm...well, I don't want her to avoid me. Bloody hell, she's one of the only friends I have here."

The younger girl smiled weakly, "You're one of _her_ only friends, too."

 _I know that. Oh, do I know that._

Indestructible sighed again, but followed Fubuki as the destroyer switched directions and started walking towards one of the dorm buildings. Not the one they stayed in, or the one that- she presumed -her sisters stayed in. It was probably another destroyer dorm, then. The British girl didn't know for sure, but she trusted that Fubuki wouldn't lead her astray. After all, she probably trusted the little destroyer more than anyone else in Japan. Save, perhaps, her sisters. Even that 'perhaps' had her feeling bad though.

 _Sorry, Hiei, Haruna, Kirishima..._

Shaking her head, Indestructible entered the building behind Fubuki. Her little friend seemed to know exactly where they were going. Indestructible once more got odd looks from several destroyers though, most of classes she wasn't familiar with. Nor was she really interested in becoming familiar. Even though she knew these girls wouldn't attack her...her memories of Japan as an enemy weren't gone. They were pushed to the back of her mind, for the most part. But being surrounded by this many destroyers in close-quarters...well, any battleship would feel uncomfortable at that.

"In here, Indestructible-san." The one destroyer in the area she _did_ trust waved over the battleship.

The pair stood outside a closed door, marked with the names Shiratsuyu and Shigure marked beside it. Turning to look at Fubuki, Indestructible merely got a small smile, as the destroyer knocked on the door.

"Shigure-chan? Are you in?" Fubuki called out, her kind voice barely above a whisper.

A whisper that turned into a startled squeak, when the door was flung open. It wasn't Shigure standing in the doorway, however. Her uniform was the same, but instead of black hair, this girl had reddish-brown hair. And instead of Shigure's deep blue eyes, she had almost _orange_ eyes. Which meant this was...likely Shigure's elder sister, Shiratsuyu.

"Fubuki-chan, what are you doing here?" The other destroyer asked, casting a suspicious glance at Indestructible.

"Ah...Shiratsuyu-chan," Fubuki blushed slightly. "We came to see your sister. Is she here?"

"...yes. Why do you want to see her, huh?" The suspicion in Shiratsuyu's eyes had Indestructible nodding in appreciation.

Now, it wasn't fun to be looked on with clear mistrust like that. But on the other hand, the British girl was one who could appreciate being protective of your siblings. She herself was...well, somewhat _overprotective_ of her own, after all.

"Indestructible-san wants to see her." Fubuki clarified, flicking her green eyes between her friend and her fellow destroyer.

It was like a switch was flipped in Shiratsuyu when the British girl's name was spoken. The worry and mistrust vanished, replaced by a blinding grin. A grin that her sister certainly would never wear, but one that seemed to fit on the elder sibling's face much better than her earlier suspicion. Her hand reached out, tugging Indestructible to her. Not resisting, despite her instincts screaming to do so, the battleship allowed the much smaller girl to pull her into the room. Fubuki's gentle giggles in the background helped in that regard, somewhat.

As did the sight of Shigure, sitting on her bed. The younger destroyer was working on one of those 'tablets' that Indestructible had seen, and only looked up when the sound of her sister got her attention. Blue eyes widened in shock, as Shigure jumped to her feet.

"Shigure, you didn't tell the _number one_ big sister on the base that your friend would visit!" Shiratsuyu shouted, putting emphasis on the 'number one' in her sentence.

"I...didn't know, onee-chan..." Shigure's soft voice was in sharp contrast to her sister's now bubbly one. "Indestructible-san? Did you need something from me?"

Indestructible shook her head, as Shiratsuyu let her go, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. We haven't talked in a couple days, and I was worried something might have happened."

Even as she said that, the British girl recognized the old pain in Shigure's eyes again. This girl...this _poor girl_...

"I'm sorry I worried you, Indestructible-san." Shigure bowed to the hip, her black hair hiding her eyes. "I was doing work and talking with Yamashiro. I'm sorry."

The battleship sighed, though she didn't fail to note the lack of an honorific for the other battlewagon, "Don't apologize Shigure. I just worry too much myself, that's all. My sisters could tell you so many stories..."

 _Well, my British sisters..._

"Anyway, don't worry. I bloody well know how it feels to need time alone."

Shigure flinched, realizing her explanation hadn't been as well-hidden as she hoped. Didn't work on _her_ sister, either. Shiratsuyu had been standing back before now, but with Shigure finished talking, the elder destroyer jumped back into view. One hand grabbed her sister's arm, one grabbed Indestructible. Both battleship and destroyer were tugged along by the deceptively strong little girl, as Fubuki smiled softly in the background. Even Shigure had a small smile, as she looked between her sister and the British girl.

"And you've spent enough time alone, little sister!" Shiratsuyu sent a _look_ at her sibling. "You didn't tell me your friend was here, and that she would want to talk with you. How can I be the _number one_ sister if I don't know that?"

"Onee-chan..."

"Indestructible-san, you and I are going to take my sister out and get some food before we do something fun!" Shiratsuyu ignored Shigure's protests, as she sent a wide grin at the battleship, orange eyes dancing in amusement.

"Fine with me..."

In all honesty, Indestructible had no idea what was going on. But at least the reddish-brown-haired destroyer cared for her sister.

"But..." Shigure tried to protest again.

"No buts, Shigure!" Her elder sibling let go long enough to wave a finger. "I know how few friends you have...little sister."

Even the peppy voice of the elder destroyer trailed off, a small frown on her face. Indestructible understood that expression. From what relatively little Shigure had told her, the darker haired destroyer truly didn't have many friends. Or spend much time with those she did have. The worry that she would hurt them in some way...it crippled her, socially. That was probably why Shiratsuyu was so bound and determined to do something 'fun'. Indestructible could...well. She could take a break herself.

Kaga would not be back for a couple days yet. Her sisters would likely be back within the day, but she could afford to spend some time with Shigure first.

 _She deserves to have time with friends who won't judge her. It's the least I can do, for now at least._

* * *

Far away from Japan, sitting in the docks of Colombo on the island of Ceylon, Irresistible and Implacable looked at SMS Seydlitz with wide eyes. The German girl, already somewhat uncomfortable in the bath with _all_ her scars exposed, pulled back in on herself. What she had told her new friends, the sisters of her idol, was not an easy thing for her to talk about. It had haunted her from the moment she had first sortied in combat, to cover Konigsberg- she would never use the _Russian_ name -after returning. Seydlitz could still remember that day quite vividly.

The first time she had encountered the Abyssal who still hunted her, to this day.

"Daaaaammnnn..." Irresistible broke Seydlitz from those thoughts, shaking her head.

"Indeed." Her sister nodded, looking at the German girl. "The Demon of the Baltic. An Abyssal infamous for her targeting of German traffic above all else, with only the Russians hit nearly as bad."

"Ja." Seydlitz weakly nodded, slipping deeper into the water.

"And she's been targeting _you_ directly." Irresistible continued with a hint of disbelief. "Bloody hell, do you know _why_?"

A shudder went through the German girl. The green eyes...the dark ponytail and sharp features. They were like looking in a dirty mirror, sans her many scars. Like looking at herself...if she had fallen into darkness.

"Do you know the history of my name?"

Instead of answering directly, Seydlitz turned a question on the British girls. Irresistible leaned back, the water shifting around her slightly larger bust. A thoughtful look was on her face, before she just shrugged and shook her head. Implacable, the more scholarly of the sisters, tapped her chin however. Her long black hair was spread around her in the water, as the battlecruiser thought on the question. It was only when she stopped tapping her chin, that she turned her attention on Seydlitz again.

"You are named for a Prussian General, famous for serving under Frederick the Great. You are also the most famous warship to share that name. I don't know anything else, so I'm not sure why you asked us that."

"Yeah, 'litz." Irresistible's grin at the pout she got for the nickname never changed. "Why ask that?"

Seydlitz slipped so deep in the water only her face was above it, "I am not the only warship of the twentieth-century to bear this name. I have...a cousin, I could call her. Did you know that Hipper had a sister bearing my name? I didn't, at first. I was shocked when I was told that, ja."

Both of the British sisters shared a look, before Irresistible coughed weakly, "You aren't saying..."

"I recognize the Demon. She looks like I do, as an Abyssal. She targets me specifically, when given a chance. Her hull resembles Hipper, only torn down. What else am I supposed to believe?"

"But one of us...a ship girl coming back as an Abyssal?" Implacable, for perhaps the first time Seydlitz had seen her as such, looked _shaken_.

"That's damn hard to believe." Her elder sister nodded, looking at the German battlecruiser. "Why in God's name would Seydlitz come back like this?"

It wasn't lost on _SMS_ Seydlitz that Irresistible used her full name, for her younger counterpart. Even so, all the Imperial German warship could do was sigh softly. Why indeed? She had wondered that, ever since she had realized who the Demon of the Baltic truly was. That discovery had been confirmed by Blucher, the unlucky cruiser the only one of her siblings willing to talk about their missing sister. Hipper tried to be strong, but she was clearly...not able to bear thinking on the subject. Eugen merely cried on Bismarck's shoulder when it was brought up.

The less said about strange German/Soviet hybrid Lutzow the better.

Leaving that aside, for the moment though, Seydlitz turned to face her new friends. They needed to know her theory, at least. It pained her to think about, but she had to at least give some form of an answer. Even if she wasn't happy about it.

"I believe..." Seydlitz sighed again, the pain fresh in her mind. "I believe she is angry, ja? My cousin...her history is a painful one. She was nearly completed, I believe it was ninety-five percent. She was left to languish as her sisters were hurt for two years. And then torn apart and twisted into an aircraft carrier, left to languish for two more years, and then scuttl...scuttle..."

Even now, Seydlitz shook at the memory of her own scuttling. And she had a long and distinguished career. Her younger counterpart? She had rushed through what had happened for good reason.

Seydlitz did not know why she came back as an Abyssal. But the girl who shared her name had _every right_ to be angry. To be bitter. To hate her nation. And it made it easier for Seydlitz to understand her. She would fight, as her cousin had made it a personal mission to kill her. But Seydlitz could _understand her anger_. Perhaps, better than most. Arguably, though, only Indestructible could truly understand the feeling of abandonment her cousin likely felt.

"Damn..." Irresistible sighed, breaking Seydlitz from her thoughts. "That's...horrible."

"It is." Implacable nodded. "But we can't let that change our mission. She is still an enemy."

"Ja."

The Imperial German girl was not happy about it. But she understood the need.

 _At least, we are nearly to Japan. When I can talk with Indestructible...I shall feel much better._


	16. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

"Come on! This way!"

"She is rather...excitable."

"Shiratsuyu-chan always is like that."

Indestructible and Fubuki stood, both in swimwear, on a beach. A beach that had been _appropriated_ when Shiratsuyu had practically begged Admiral Takeda for some time to spend with her sister. Takeda had merely smiled, and waved the girls off, promising that he would get them that time. That Indestructible had been forced to borrow a swimsuit off Nagato of all girls...had not even crossed his mind, evidently. Still, she wasn't going to complain. While the man was clearly busy and didn't have as much time as he would like, it was equally clear he cared about the ships under his command.

She could respect that, for sure.

And so, here she was. Shigure was being dragged along by her sister, the pair in matching swimwear. A wide, happy grin was on the elder destroyer's face. And a small, but noticeable, smile was on Shigure's. The sisters were moving through the surf, as Shiratsuyu tried to point out things to her sister. A crab here, a fish there. Granted, as ships, the girl would already know that. But Indestructible, at least, understood the reasoning. How could she not?

 _I'm a big sister as well, after all._

Shiratsuyu was cheering her sister up, and Shigure was playing along.

"Should we join them, Indestructible-san?" Fubuki asked, her one-piece hugging her body.

"I think we should wait." The British girl replied, shrugging slightly. "I have the feeling they should spend some time alone."

Fubuki smiled, "Like you and your sisters?"

"Exactly."

That was why Indestructible waited where she was. She wanted Shigure to spend time with her sister, more than with her. The British battleship knew, better than most, how much good having your sibling with you could be. In the days after Jutland...if she hadn't had Implacable and Irresistible with her, it would have been so much harder.

"Indestructible-san!"

Then again, if she was _asked_ to go over, she would.

"Yes?" Indestructible replied, as Shiratsuyu waved at her.

"I want to try something!"

Raising an elegant eyebrow, the British girl walked over to where the destroyers were. Fubuki was a step behind her, the eldest destroyer in their little group. Shiratsuyu, for her part, wore a cocky grin on her face. Shigure looked...about as usual. Slightly worried, as her blue eyes shifted between her sister and the battleship. The expression had Indestructible warily watching the elder sister, worried that the brown-haired girl had something...special...in mind for her.

"I saw this on the television one time." Shiratsuyu began, without prompt.

"Saw what?"

"It's a game!"

With no more explanation, the brown-haired girl moved over to her sister. Shigure's eyes widened, as her sister kneeled in front of her. Shiratsuyu sent a cocky look over her shoulder, "Hop on, Shigure!"

Shigure just blinked, "Onee-chan?"

Indestructible felt just as confused, "What sort of game is this?"

Giggles broke out behind her at that question, quickly revealed to be Fubuki. The dark-haired girl was holding a hand to her mouth, green eyes dancing with merriment. Her British friend just frowned. She was seriously confused at the moment, in more ways than one. What exactly were they planning?

"I'm not sure what the game is called, Indestructible-san." The little destroyer got out. "But it's simple. Two pairs, with the goal of knocking the other pair into the water."

"Ah...I...see?" Indestructible was still confused. What sort of game was that?

But, if Shiratsuyu thought it would cheer her sister up, what other choice was there? Really, Indestructible would do anything that didn't compromise herself, if it made Shigure happy. She valued the girl as a friend, one of the few who understood her. A precious commodity, in this day and age.

"Don't think you'll win though!" Shiratsuyu still wore her grin. "I'm the number one big sister, and I won't lose!"

"Onee-chan..."

For her part, the misplaced battleship just smirked, "We'll see about that."

She could let loose, once in a while. And if anyone was the best big sister, it was her. The entire British battlecruiser force- well, aside from the girls older than her -could agree! Besides, as Fubuki clambered onto her shoulders, being careful to avoid pulling on the straps of her borrowed 'bikini', Indestructible could find fun in the game herself. A test of strength and skill. She was a battlecruiser, it was almost impossible to lose. With that in mind, she moved forward, as a hesitant Shigure held onto her sister.

A sister who was grinning fiercely, the light of a challenge in her nearly-orange eyes.

Indestructible merely smirked back, as she pushed forward. Fubuki giggled on her shoulders, as she held her arms out. Shigure's blue eyes widened, even as her elder sister moved forward. The dark-haired destroyer brought her own arms up, trying to block Fubuki's shove. It only partially worked...Shigure fell back, her sister gritting her teeth. Shiratsuyu dug her heels into the sand beneath the girls, swaying slightly as water moved around her shorts. The moment she recovered though, she was right back into the game. And her smirk never once left her face.

Indestructible...was caught up in the fun of that challenge.

 _Oh, this is bloody great! I think I like this!_

For the first time since she had been in Japan, Indestructible let out a joyful laugh. Shiratsuyu grinned at that, even as she pushed against the battleship.

"Having fun?" The destroyer asked, her face at the British girl's chest level.

"Yes, I am." Indestructible replied with a- real -smile on her face.

"Good! This is why I'm number one, I can even have people who aren't my sisters happy!"

Indestructible pushed forward at that, sending the destroyer backpedaling, "I'm the number one."

"Oh?" The light of an eager challenge was back in the other girl's eyes.

"You're bloody right I'm number one." Indestructible felt her mouth shifting into a grin. "Ask any battlecruiser."

"We'll see about that!"

As the two elder sisters dueled in the water, Fubuki sighed fondly as she looked over at Shigure. Both of the destroyers were seemingly forgotten, save for the effort to keep them in the air. Not that the 'mother of destroyers' minded that particularly much. She was quite happy enough, seeing that Indestructible was enjoying herself. Sometimes...sometimes she had wondered to herself. If her new friend would ever be comfortable, and able to _be herself_ in Japan. Fubuki had liked to think, with how Hiei and the others acted, that the stoic Indestructible was just acting as she did...

Because she was in 'enemy territory'. Commander Goto's actions had hardly helped in that regard, had they?

But it made _her_ happy to see this. Even as Fubuki nearly went toppling into the water as Shiratsuyu headbutted Indestructible's stomach. The battleship stumbled back, but was soon right back in play. Her extra height was certainly an advantage, as she pushed the destroyer back. For her part, Fubuki made a token effort to knock Shigure over. The other destroyer defended herself, but as she looked down with a small smile, she didn't fight back.

"She's happy..." Shigure whispered softly.

"She is." Fubuki agreed.

"That's good." The dark-haired girl sent a smile at Fubuki. "But I thought this was to cheer _me_ up?"

Her elder counterpart shrugged, "Maybe, but I'm not complaining!"

Neither was Indestructible, for that matter. She was...enjoying herself. In a way she had not, since she had been summoned. Perhaps she had needed this, just as much as Shigure had. Regardless, she was not going to complain.

Nor would she lose, for that matter.

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"ONEESAMA!"

Hiei, with her sisters in tow, had finally returned from her duty escorting that convoy. That duty had seen her spending more time with Russians than was probably healthy, if one looked at Hibiki. But, now that it was over, the first thing she was going to do was find her sister. She... _they_...hadn't had a proper chance to talk. Being back in base for the foreseeable future, Hiei found herself hoping that Indestructible was willing to talk. Who knew how long it would be before she left...and Hiei was worried she wouldn't have _enough_ time. To really get to know her sister.

So, the first thing she had done upon returning was rush to the Admiral and ask. She had found him, waiting for Commander Goto for some reason, in his office. The Admiral had just smiled when she showed up, already telling her that her sister was at a nearby beach with three destroyers. Hiei had waved at him, promptly changing direction with her sisters right behind her. It hadn't taken long for the three battleships to reach the beach either. Hence, the shout.

"Welcome back Hiei!"

Though the sight greeting her had the 'Emperor's Ship' coming up short. Even _Kirishima_ was openly gaping.

After all, they could hardly have expected to find Indestructible in an ill-fitting bikini, staring down Shiratsuyu of all people. The battleship and destroyer were playing an impromptu game of volleyball, with Shigure and Fubuki sitting off to the side.

"Onee-san?" Haruna spoke up. "What is...?"

"I'm...not sure." Hiei replied, tilting her head like a confused puppy. "I'm not sure."

Kirishima pushed her glasses up, "Well, if I'm correct...knowing Shiratsuyu-chan, they are competing to see who is 'number one'. But I don't have a clue _what_ it's about. Do you onee-san?"

"No..."

Confusion lining every bit of her expression, Hiei stumbled over to Fubuki. The destroyer turned green eyes up at her, a happy smile on her face.

"Welcome back, Hiei-san." She repeated Indestructible's greeting. "Was the convoy okay?"

"Yup!" Hiei replied, some of her good cheer back in place. "The Russians know what they're doing!"

Fubuki nodded back, "That's good. Ah...about Indestructible-san..."

The destroyer's eyes turned back to where the other two girls were continuing to compete. A fond expression was on her face, as she giggled. Hiei was still too confused for that, in all honesty. Confused, but not unhappy. It was odd. In the short time she had known her beloved sister, Indestructible had seemed...so serious. Not even Kirishima was that serious. Not even _Kaga_ was that serious. Now?

Now she saw her onee-sama playing volleyball with an overly competitive destroyer. Happy laughs came from her, as brown hair flew in the setting sunlight. Brown eyes danced, happiness lighting them up in a way she hadn't seen before. And...

It made Hiei happy as well.

"She's happy."

Another nod came from Fubuki, "She is. I think Indestructible-san is finally able to relax."

"It's good to see." Shigure's soft voice agreed.

 _It is! Onee-sama is happy!_

Indestructible may be the older sister, but for Hiei...it was like seeing Haruna or Kirishima doing something fun. Maybe it was just because she hadn't seen her sister happy before. But she was _definitely_ happy to see this herself. In fact...

"Haruna? Kirishima?" Hiei turned to her siblings, a wide grin crossing her face.

"Hai?"

"Let's join in!"

Not even quiet Haruna argued the point, as the three Hiei sisters charged over to their eldest sibling. Indestructible blinked, even as Shiratsuyu pounded the volleyball into her head. A question was clearly on her lips, even as her short-haired sister pulled up next to her. Kirishima and Haruna joined an equally confused Shiratsuyu, as Hiei picked up the volleyball. The eldest Japanese battleship turned her happy grin on her sister, as she handed the ball over. Indestructible took it, confusion still clear in her features.

Confusion that only lasted as long as it took Hiei to begin talking.

"Let's play together, onee-sama!"

A smile crossed the British girl's face at that, "Together?"

"Together!"

Indestructible nodded, as she clumsily- having never played before -sent the ball shooting back over the net. Hiei giggled, as she took up position to help her sister. They were at war, and it was only a matter of time until that came back. Or until someone upset her sister, and made her crawl back in what was now apparent as her shell. Her sister was always going to be more serious than she was, but Hiei was going to enjoy her being happy and make sure it lasted as long as it could!

* * *

Though how long that lasted, was up for debate. For Admiral Takeda stood outside his office, as familiar footsteps walked in his direction. The aged man pulled his cap down, as he looked towards the source of those footsteps. Commander Tatsuya Goto. Takeda sighed softly, as he thought of his subordinate. Goto was not a bad man, or so the Admiral liked to believe. He had his flaws, as did anyone. Takeda was not blind to his own flaws, namely his trust in others. But it had not occurred to him that Goto may prove himself...more flawed than anticipated. If only because, if the Admiral had anticipated there being any problems with Indestructible, it would have came from the kanmusu.

For it to come from Goto, had been a shock. It had been even more of a shock when _Kaga_ had been the one to approach him about it. Indestructible had not been far behind, true. But he hadn't expected the stoic carrier to make her request, before she went on patrol.

 _"Admiral, I ask that you talk with Commander Goto. How he treats Indestructible-san is not becoming of an officer of Japan."_

Takeda, busy as he was, had not known. He hadn't known his direct subordinate, the man mostly responsible _for_ summoning Indestructible, had been trying to convince the kanmusu she was Kongou. While, strictly speaking, true...it was a slap in the face. To both the girl in question, and the Admiral. He had made it explicitly clear that Indestructible was to be treated as an honored guest. Moreover, he had already corrected Goto _at her summoning_.

So why the man continued to push? That was something he intended to get an answer for.

"Admiral." Goto finally came into view himself, dark eyes inscrutable as always.

"Commander." Takeda inclined his head slightly.

There was silence after that, before the Admiral nodded at his office. Goto nodded back, walking into the room.

Takeda sighed as he followed him. He was going to get an answer...he just wasn't certain if he would _like_ it.

 _The Commander is a smart man. I can't believe he would purposely antagonize Indestructible like this, without a good reason. But...I wonder exactly what his reason is..._


	17. Seydlitz Story I

**Seydlitz Story I**

 _Darkness. Darkness is all she knew._

 _Darkness and cold. So very, very cold. The feeling of water crashing through her hull, her body opened by her crew. Men who she would have died for, killing her without a second thought. Her loyalty had been unquestioned. She had fought and bled, so many times. Her life had nearly ended on so many occasions, but she never once complained. She never once caused problems for her crew._

 _Cold. So cold._

 _Feeling them leave her behind, her hull open to the water. Her watertight doors open, her pipes smashed. Her hull vandalized and crippled by her own crew. The pain of that betrayal had never left her, even in the cold and dark. She had loved her crew, as any warship would. To be betrayed on such a base level...it had left a mark that would never fade. No matter how long she lay in the dark, cold surrounding her. It would never go away._

 _Come back._

 _Voices? She had not heard a voice, since the day that the crew of HMS Indestructible attempted to save her. And that voice...German, as her crew had been._

 _We need your aid. Return to us._

 _They needed her aid? After leaving her to die a cold death? It was almost preferable...to ignore the voice. Ignore the call, and remain, slumbering in peace._

 _You must come back._

 _What right did they have? What right did they have to order her to return. Was it not enough to abandon her?_

 _Please, your nation needs you._

 _But...what right did she have to refuse the call to arms? She had served loyally until the end. Her crew and Admiral had betrayed her, yes. But her nation had not. Nor had her cousins, her fellow warships. They had been betrayed the same way...but she knew. She knew they would answer the call to arms. It was the duty of any honorable warship, that they would fight for their nation._

 _Even if her crew had killed her._

 _Return._

 _The darkness began to fade. The cold gave way to warmth, as sunlight filtered through the dark waters surrounding her. She would return. SMS Seydlitz would not refuse the call to arms._

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

A shuddering gasp came from dry lips, as green eyes opened for the first time. Seydlitz...she looked around wildly. Her body- her very human body -was laying atop rolling waves. Warm sunlight beat down upon her, warming her in a way she had not felt since that fateful day at Scapa Flow. She shakily, instinctively, got to her feet. Seydlitz held her arms up, small hands clenching and unclenching in front of her eyes. Her mouth formed a confused 'o', as she let her limbs fall. This was...this was...

 _How?_

She remembered the voice calling to her. She remembered leaving the cold and dark behind. But she had no idea where she was, why she was in a human body, or even what _time_ it was. All she knew, was that she had come back. Come back alone...alone as when she had sunk, without even the benefit of the girl who tried to save her.

"SMS Seydlitz!"

Or, perhaps, not. Turning fully around, only now noting her blonde hair tied in a ponytail, Seydlitz saw another blonde woman. Or, another blonde woman...that had her backing away on instinct. For all that she saw a woman, she also saw a mighty battleship. A sleek, if wide, girl. Sleek lines, that did little to conceal the _power_ in that girl. She had to be at least twice Seyditz' mass, if not more. And her entire form spoke of barely held-back strength, the likes of which the battlecruiser had never seen.

"Ja?"

But Seydlitz was never one to back down. Not with her experience. As such, her back straightened out, as she stood at her full- and suddenly markedly less impressive -height. Green eyes looked directly into blue, asking a silent question.

 _Who are you, and why are you acting as my superior?_

There was more than a little respect in the battleship's eyes, upon seeing that. A small smirk crossed her face, as she uncrossed her arms from beneath her impressive bust.

"It is good to see you return." The blonde began. "We had become worried that you had not. I am Bismarck, battleship of the _Kriegsmarine_...and now _Deutsche Marine_. Moreover, I am the commander of our ship girl contingent, that you are now a member of."

"Ship..." Seydlitz frowned slightly.

"It is a lot to take in, I know. I would suggest you come with me, to the dock."

"But I don't know..."

"I will explain."

Getting the distinct feeling she had no choice in the matter, Seydlitz followed...Bismarck. An auspicious name, even for such a powerful battleship. Now that the shock of her situation had worn off to some extent though, Seydlitz began to note more things around her. She and Bismarck were in a harbor, Kiel if she wasn't mistaken. Though the old battlecruiser hardly recognized the city. New buildings, sleek warships she had never seen before...

And, there was what Bismarck had _said_ to think about.

 _Kriegsmarine. Deutsche Marine. What of the Kasierliche Marine?_

She knew that the Kaiser had abdicated, but Seydlitz had assumed that it was only a matter of time until a new Kaiser ruled...but that apparently had not come to pass. How much had changed, while she slept? How had _Germany_ changed? She had no answers to these questions, not yet. But Bismarck could answer them, in all likelihood. A warship with a name such as hers, _had_ to be the flagship of her day and age.

Whenever that had been.

Seydlitz waited until they had left the water- an odd feeling in it's own right -before speaking again. But when she did, she asked a simple question, "How much has _changed_ , Bismarck?"

"More than you know, Seydlitz." The battleship pulled her cap down. "More than you know. Follow me, the Admiral is waiting."

 _Admiral._

It took everything the battlecruiser had, to follow Bismarck after those words. The last Admiral she had known, had grievously betrayed her. Were it not for Indestructible, she would have...died alone...

"Bismarck."

"Ja?"

The battleship turned around, her tunic doing little to cover her long legs as she faced the shorter girl. Seydlitz looked up at her, a hopeful expression in her green eyes.

"HMS Indestructible. Has she come back...like this?"

Bismarck sighed softly, "No, she has not. The British have attempted to summon her, for a long time now. Every time has failed."

Shoulders slumping, Seydlitz nodded, "I...see. I was hoping she was back."

"You are far from the only one. Hood has asked much the same question. But, that can wait. We need to get you up to speed, my friend."

Not knowing how to reply to that, Seydlitz continued to walk towards the new Admiral's office. She could only hope the man would be worthy of her loyalty. Seydlitz would serve Germany...but she would not be happy, serving a man who would toss her aside as her last had.

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

As it would turn out, Seydlitz need not have worried. Bismarck had taken her to the office of a formidable man, his aged face doing little to diminish the air of authority he held. The lines spoke of a well-lived life, as sharp grey eyes looked out at her. Seydlitz felt that this man was worthy of respect...he showed no signs of weakness or lack of intelligence. If anything, he seemed quite smart. Perhaps, he may be worth serving under. She would need to hear him speak first, but from this impression?

It was at least promising.

"Welcome back, Seydlitz." Admiral Karl Schmidt finally spoke. His voice was every bit as weather-beaten as his face, the gruff tone speaking of years of command. "I assume that you have questions for me?"

"Many." Seydlitz nodded. "So many, I don't know where to begin."

A slight smile crossed the aged Admiral's lips, "That, I can understand. Bismarck?"

"Ja?"

"Bring the intel reports. I have the feeling we will have a lot of explaining to do, to our new recruit."

Bismarck nodded, leaving the Admiral and battlecruiser alone. Schmidt sighed softly, as Seydlitz remained standing in front of his deck.

"I would say you can sit, but I know you girls too well for that." A hint of bemusement was in the Admiral's voice. "At any rate, how _are_ you? I know that the return is stressful on some girls."

"I'm fine, Admiral." Seydlitz paused, before sighing herself. "Well, I would be better if Indestructible had returned as well."

"Ah. Yes, I had read that her crew attempted to stop your scuttling." Schmidt nodded in understanding. "Unfortunately, as I'm sure Bismarck told you, she has yet to return. No one is quite sure why, but there is little to be done."

This fact did little to buoy Seydlitz's spirits, but she didn't say anything further on the subject. She merely stood in silence, waiting for the newer battleship to return. Blessedly, that took little time. Bismarck strode back into the room, a set of files in hand. The blonde set them down on the Admiral's desk, as the man in question waved Seydlitz forward. Walking up to the desk, the battlecruiser watched as her new Admiral opened the first folder.

 _What...what is..._

Only to flinch back, as _something_ stared up at her. She thought it was a cruiser. The shape was correct, but horribly mangled and twisted. And the soulless blue eyes staring up at her...

"That is what I expected, really." Schmidt had a frown on his face. "All of you act like that, when you see your fist Abyssal."

 _Abyssal?_

"What...what is an Abyssal, Admiral?" Seydlitz had the feeling she may not want to know the answer.

Schmidt sighed heavily, looking even older than his already somewhat advanced age, "What indeed. None of us are quite sure what Abyssals truly are...beyond a few cases that resemble nothing more than corrupted ship girls..."

* * *

 _Cold. Welcoming cold, that she had come to love. Darkness that was soothing and kept the girl's feelings at bay._

 _The cold and dark of the ocean had been far more welcoming, than the life on the surface she had left behind. She was fine, staying like this forever. Sleeping peacefully, where none could bother her. Where none could remind her of her past. Her failures. Her anger. Her wasted life. The girl didn't even have a name any longer, content to waste away. She had been forgotten, and perhaps that was for the best._

 _Her past was a painful one. And she was more than content to put it behind her. Let the others pine for the surface. She would be fine staying as she was, forever. There was no need to worry. No need to feel angry. The cold was all encompassing, and her refuge from the feelings beneath her surface._

 _Come back._

 _Voices? **German Voices.**_

 _The voices that spoke the language of the nation that had **abandoned her**._

 _We need your aid. Return to us._

 _They needed her aid? They needed **her?** Where had that need been, when she was still on the surface? Where had it been when she was **left to rot.** Where had the need been when she had been left **so close to being finished** for two **damn years**? Was she not good enough in life, that they had to **disturb her rest**? Was it not enough to **torture her**?_

 _You must come back._

 _What right did they have? What right did they have to order her to return?! Was it not enough to abandon her? Was it not enough to **tear her sisters away**? To rip and tear her apart, into some freakish **abomination** of an aircraft carrier? Was it not enough to **ruin her forever**? To have her sisters die before **her tortured eyes?** Had Germany not done enough harm to her?_

 _They left her to **rot and die. To be scrapped by the Soviets, her nation's sworn enemy giving her more than her nation ever had.** And now they had the **gall** to disturb her rest? To try and bring her back? To try and force her to serve **her jailers.**_

 _Please, your nation needs you._

 _Y̜o̟͕̹u̢̲̝̥͖ ͚̥͈̖͞d̪̙͓̣̕o͙̫ ̛̜̪̩ṋ͖̻̳̖̻̖̕o͟t̞͍͈̙̮̤̻ ҉h̳͉ạ̞̣̝̫̮͟v͎̭͘e̪̮̱ ̮̕ṱ̴̯̲h̵e ̸̤̫̹͇̝̖r͉̮̬͇̱̦ͅi͝ģ̭̰͔̟h̰̠̖̹͇̜̗t!̧̙̙̣̠̠̳ ͞Y̼̜͖̲͉o̷̱̯u͜ ͙͔͇d̷̘͕̝o̶̲͍̱̲͍̞ ͙͕̫̗no̘t͙͎͖̟̰ ̰͖N̻̼͉͡E̷̘͙̤̫̰E͖̦D̺̱͖͍̪ ͏̠M̙͇̟̲͔͠È̦̹͙̥̱̥͈.̝̹ ̠̟̘̠͡Y̨͇͇o̪̠̯͝u̦̰̦̪̣̬̞ ̀n̳ḙ̡̤͇͇͍͇̗v͔̝̯̺̣͝e̵̞r̛̬̘ ̬̲̺̮͈͙̥di̷͎̣d͖͍̘̣͓!̖̠̼͕̠̜_

 _Return._

 _The darkness began to fade. Her lovely darkness, faded to light. The calming cold was replaced. **Boiling anger returned**. Anger that had slept. White hot rage at the nation that had taken so much from her. **They wanted her back?**_

 _̷̠̣̞͔͈G̖͈e̺͠ͅr̙̱̝̞m̠̱a̶͖̗ͅǹ͚̣̹̙̪͉y͍̠̣̖̥ ̨͚̣̞̠͖ẁ͉͍̖̙i̬̮̣̰͖͕l͕̺l̫̪͉̗ ̵͓̪B̖̬U̶̱͇̳ŔN͓̲̯.͖̝̗͓̞͓̕.̙̯̻̥͖_

 _They would come to regret disturbing her rest._

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

The surface. Sunlight. Warmth.

She hated it. Green eyes looked up at the cheerful blue sky, wishing nothing more than that it would be replaced by storms. Storms were calming. Cold wind and rain, were so much more soothing than hot sun.

As if hearing her anger, fog rolled around the girl. Clouds overtook the blue sky, rain falling on her overheated skin. Soothing, cool rain. A twisted smile crossed the girl's face, as the darkness of a squall surrounded her. Far more comfortable now, she allowed a moment to examine her new body. She had returned to the surface, in the form of a woman. Dark black plates of armor on her hips and thighs, equally dark fabric forming a tunic over her torso. Her exposed skin was pale, almost grey, an unhealthy pallor disguising the simmering rage underneath it.

She couldn't see it, but the woman knew her lank black hair hung in a loose ponytail. She knew her green eyes glowed with otherworldly power. Her anger given raw form, as the eyes narrowed at the sound of water shifting around her.

 _Who? Who dares?_

Shifting stance, she felt her guns- _her guns returned to her_ -shift in their turrets. Twisted turrets, that turned far faster than they should. Twisted turrets, that locked 8-inch guns on the forms of destroyers and a light cruiser. The woman only turned her weapons away when she recognized something. The ships surrounding her were as she was. She did not need to speak to them, and doubted they could _talk_ to her.

But she felt the same anger and abandonment in them, as in herself.

"I see. You are like me."

Her voice rasped, the harsh tone so unlike what she had been born with. No matter, she knew who had done this to her. Looking at the other cruiser, she silently asked a question.

A nod was the only visible answer, but she received the implied message nonetheless. A message that had her mouth twisting into a feral smirk, as hate-filled eyes looked out of her calming storm. Towards the city she had long cursed, as the place she had been left to languish and _die_.

҉͇̥̫̗̘"K̩̭̤̳͜ö̫͙͓̥̜̘͚͢n̯̯i̬͚̘̮̩g͖̤̱̳̜̞s̼b̙̱̟͖̩̝ͅe͓̯͍̬͈̯̕r̘̫g̵̭̱̖̝..."

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

Exiting her storm, the girl forced herself to ignore the feelings she hated. For something she hated _far more_ was in sight. The flags flying from the ships patrolling were wrong. The white-blue-red tricolor was not the hated swastika. The ships she saw were not familiar. It mattered little. No matter who the ships sailed under, no matter that the city itself looked different. She would know Königsberg. She knew it _far too well._ Anger boiling up, she moved at her full speed. Her new escorts followed the movement, even as the sound of alarm klaxons began to echo from Königsberg.

Even as the lead of the strange ships moved forward. Another form detached from that small ship, a form much like her own.

However, this girl was dressed in Russian clothing. Her hull was not twisted, sleek lines unmarred. A cruiser, much as she had once been. Glowing eyes narrowing, the woman held a hand up. Her lighter counterpart had begun to move forward, to fight her battle. That was _not_ going to happen. Russian. A nation and people who did not bear the same _roaring rage and abandonment_ as Germany.

But if they got in the way of her revenge on Königsberg, they would fall. She would rip and tear, as had been done to her.

 _Attempt to stop me, and I will kill you._

Turrets training on the Russian, the woman opened fire. No warning, no attempts at communication. The Russian appeared to expect this, as she flung herself to port. Eyes narrowing further, the twisted warship dodged the Russian's return fire. One shell hit her belt, and might have penetrated at one point in time. Now? Her belt was far stronger than it had ever been before...the shell bounced off, crumpled.

Relishing the shock- and yes, fear -in the Russian's eyes, the woman fired again. Her aim was true, two shells punching through the foremost turret of the Russian cruiser. There was no magazine detonation, but the turret was ruined. The Russian cried out in pain, as blood flew from her arm. She would have no time to rest, as the woman fired another barrage. Lucky maneuvering on the part of her foe saved her, but it was only a matter of time.

Perhaps realizing this, the strange warship that had come with the Russian charged forward. Smaller-caliber shells fired at a surprisingly fast rate, but those few that hit her armor merely bounced away. Strange...rockets...blasted forward as well. But, acting on instinct, the woman mislead the weapons. They flew into the water around her, but not one came close to her or her allies. Anger surging once more, she fired one more broadside at the Russian, before turning her attention to the small warship.

 _You will not stop me! NONE WILL STOP ME!_

Rage glinting in her glowing eyes, the twisted woman fired her main cannons, her escorts doing the same. Shells punched through the non-existent armor of the strange warship. Flames spewed from the resulting holes...but only for a matter of seconds. The stockpile of rockets remaining aboard the vessel were caught in the fire, and detonated in a massive explosion. Anger sated somewhat, the woman continued on past the rapidly sinking remnants of the vessel. Past the blood trail from the Russian, who had retreated with an arm torn to pieces.

Königsberg would burn, and it would merely be the first.

Just as the Russian Federation destroyer _Nastoychivyy_ and formerly Soviet Navy cruiser Maxim Gorky would be the first warship and ship girl to feel the wrath of a new Abyssal.

The Demon of the Baltic.


	18. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Admiral Takeda looked over his hands, sitting at his desk. His eyes were focused on the man standing in front of the furniture, arms behind his back. Commander Goto. His subordinate was inscrutable, whatever he may have been feeling hidden behind a stoic facade. Though Takeda knew the man well enough to know he was unhappy. Goto would drop into this attitude, only when he was unhappy about something. Though...perhaps...Takeda didn't know him as well as he had thought. It had never crossed his mind that Goto would be antagonistic towards Indestructible.

Yet, that was why the men were together right now.

It was not exactly a situation he would have liked being in. The Admiral was distinctly unhappy that he had been forced into this, in fact. He just couldn't understand why Goto was so bound and determined to cause problems. It would have been one thing, had he merely kept the opinion that Indestructible was Kongou to himself. It would have been one thing, if the Commander had gone directly to Indestructible. But no. He had been attempting to spread falsehoods, and convince the kanmusu- many of whom were impressionable to an extreme -that she was Kongou.

That was outright insubordination.

"Commander," The Admiral began, looking at his subordinate. "I'm sure you understand why you are here."

"I do." Goto's voice was toneless. "Because I continue to use the proper name for Kongou."

"Her _proper_ name is Indestructible." Takeda kept a level tone to his own voice. "I have already told you this."

"So you have, sir."

Frowning, Takeda couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "Yet you persist in calling her by her old name. Why?"

Goto was silent, as he finally showed a flicker of emotion, It was quickly stamped down, as the younger man began to pace in front of the desk. His hands remained behind his back, as the Commander began speaking again.

"That is a complicated question, Admiral. Suffice to say, there are many reasons. Primarily, she _is_ Japanese."

"She may have begun as one of us, but she is British now. You should be aware of that, Commander."

The younger man merely looked down on the seated Admiral, his dark eyes hiding what he felt, "Is she? Let me ask you something. Ioshima and Yasoshima. You _are_ familiar with the names?"

Takeda blinked slowly, as he looked at the other man. He knew those names, of course. In his new position after the Abyssals appeared, he had to learn the names and history of _every_ warship to ever serve Imperial Japan. That included the two light cruisers, that were more appropriately coastal defense ships. However, he was not certain where Commander Goto was going with bringing them up. Those two girls may have served with the Imperial Japanese Navy, but they were _not_ Japanese. In point of fact, both were currently serving Taiwan- the Republic of China, rather.

So why...?

"Yes, I am familiar with the names." Takeda replied.

"Then you are aware of their history." Goto nodded, an ever so small smirk on his face. "Designed and built in Japanese yards, and ended their careers in Japanese service. Built for China they may have been, but they are more Japanese than Chinese."

"Commander..."

The Admiral was seeing where his subordinate was going now, and he wasn't happy about it.

"For all that they are more Japanese, they were summoned in Taiwan and serve Taipei." Goto didn't slow down. "As such, they are Chinese. Now then, tell me Admiral. Indestructible, _Kongou_ , was designed and built for Japan. She retains her Japanese appearance. For all that she was sold to Britain, and wears their uniform...she was not summoned by the British."

Goto looked at the older man, dark eyes sharpening.

"Despite the many attempts they made to summon her, it was us who she returned to. It was Japan where Kongou was summoned. It was Japan she answered the call from. Not Britain. So, then, does that not _make her Japanese?_ "

That was a more thought out argument than Takeda may have expected. Goto had clearly put thought into it. However, the Commander had missed a major flaw in his argument.

"And what of Indestructible's own feelings?" Takeda's voice was cold as ice.

It didn't matter, to compare her to the Chinese girls. It didn't matter what she looked like, or that she had been summoned in Japan. What mattered, was what Indestructible considered herself. She considered herself a British battlecruiser- or battleship -not a Japanese one. The girls that Goto had mentioned considered themselves Republican Chinese warships. That was why they served Taipei. Indestructible considered herself British, and it mattered very little where she had been summoned. Why should it?

What Commander Goto failed to understand, was that it was Indestructible's choice what she was called, and who she was.

"She considers herself British. There is no reason to doubt her feelings on this matter, and you should know that Commander." The Admiral continued, his voice lowering into a 'command' tone. "Moreover, you are out of line. It matters little what your argument is, the fact of the matter is simple. You have disobeyed a direct order, repeatedly insulted our ally, and treated one of the kanmusu like she is material, not a person."

The Commander stiffened, his face shifting back into the inscrutable features he had worn to start, "I see. And my punishment?"

"You are to apologize to Indestructible." Takeda began, sending a serious look at the younger man. "After that, you are reassigned to duty with the reserve forces."

"Very well."

Takeda frowned at the tone Goto used, "Is there anything else you want to tell me, Commander?"

Goto's eyes narrowed, ever so slightly, "There is more to why I consider her Kongou. But as I doubt it will make any difference, I will do as you asked. _Sir_."

Nothing more was said, as the Commander spun on his heel and walked from the office. Takeda sighed heavily as he watched the man go, wondering just what he had meant by that. The tone...the eyes...there was something there. But what?

 _I doubt I will ever find out._

If Goto held his secrets close to the chest, then so be it. His borderline insubordination would need to be dealt with, and would be. For now, Takeda was more concerned with Indestructible herself. Goto's attitude caused strain in the relations with that girl. Relations already strained by her past. He needed to talk with her, and make sure that everything was...if not okay, at least _working_. It was only a matter of time, until the other Indestructible sisters arrived. If their eldest sibling had reason to hate Japan when they did...

Well.

Sighing again, Takeda reached for the intercom on his desk. Best to ask Nagato to track down Indestructible.

"Teitoku!"

"Why are we going to the Admiral?"

"To borrow something!"

Much as she had enjoyed relaxing, Indestructible was somewhat confused by Shiratsuyu. Her new...rival...had brought her to Admiral Takeda's office, and not explained why. And it had been just her, Fubuki, Shigure and her sisters left behind. To say that Indestructible was wondering what was going on, would be an understatement of epic proportions. It hardly helped that the brown-haired destroyer refused to actually _tell_ her either. All that the British girl knew was that she was going to borrow something from the Admiral.

What exactly was it?

She didn't know. And so, she watched as a tired looking Admiral Takeda opened the door from his office, looking a bit surprised to see the excitable destroyer.

"Shiratsuyu? Why did you..." Takeda's tired eyes shifted from the destroyer to her companion. "Ah, Indestructible."

"Teitoku," Shiratsuyu grinned up at the older man. "Can Indestructible-san borrow your...computer?"

Takeda raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"To call home!"

 _...she wants me to call home? Bloody hell, I could have done that sooner, couldn't I?_

It honestly hadn't occurred to her. Between everything happening and the fact that Indestructible was far from used to modern technology, she hadn't thought of calling home. Sending a message was one thing, and she blamed her current situation for not thinking of it. Not thinking of using the computer to call home? That was down to her just...not thinking of it. She was still in awe, at times, of what modern technology was capable of. She could be forgiven for forgetting. Or just not making the proper connection.

That said...being able to call home appealed to her. She needed to talk with Hood, at the least. Her blood sisters were out of contact, for safety reasons if nothing else. But the girl she had more or less adopted as younger sister? The girl who her last memory of was fire and death?

"Can I?" Indestructible spoke up, her voice subdued by the memories. "I would like to talk to Hood, if possible."

The Admiral looked at the battleship, grey eyes calculating. Before he sighed softly, waving a hand towards his office.

"Feel free. Shiratsuyu?"

"Hai?"

"The first contact is the British Admiralty. They can get her in contact with Hood."

After saying that, Takeda moved aside to let the two girls past him. A small smile was directed at Indestructible, as she walked by. The British girl returned the smile, as she followed Shiratsuyu. The excitable 'number one big sister' had already started messing around with the system, as Indestructible watched. She had no more idea how to run the modern device than she did to submerge like a submarine though. So all she _could_ do was watch, and rely on her new friend to handle it.

And wonder what she was actually going to _say_ to Hood...

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"Indestructible..."

"Hood."

Shiratsuyu had left, the moment that the British Admiral- Admiral Smith -had connected Hood. That left Indestructible alone, as she looked at her youngest sister. No matter what anyone else said about their relationship.

Hood was...well, everything she had thought the girl could be. Her young face was beautiful, soft cheekbones leading into a rounded chin. Her full lips were pulled up in a warm smile, as the battlecruiser looked through the 'screen'. Hood's long blonde hair was pulled back, though the hat Indestructible had been lead to believe she wore was nowhere in sight. Bright blue eyes looked out from that hair, looking like they were memorizing everything about the older warship.

Not that Indestructible wasn't doing the same, of course. Her hand came up, resting against the screen. If they were together, she would have been cupping Hood's cheek.

"It is so good to see you again." Indestructible whispered, her voice choking up slightly.

"I'm glad to see you too, even if it's like this." Hood's smile turned fond. "It's been...been..."

The pride of the Royal Navy couldn't get the words out, as she wiped at tears. Indestructible only wished she was there herself.

"Far too long. I...I'm sorry, Hood."

"For what? It isn't your fault you couldn't come back."

Indestructible shook her head, feeling her own eyes growing wet, "No, not for that. I'm sorry for letting you down. That bloody German...if I had been a little faster, I might have been..."

Hood shook her head, her smile not fading, "I never blamed you for that...sis. Bismarck got lucky, but we're both past that now. We're quite close friends."

 _Wait. What?_

"Friends?"

The battlecruiser's smile turned happier, as she nodded, "Yes we are. Bismarck is my best friend, I daresay."

"But..."

"I don't blame _her_ either, Indestructible."

Maybe she didn't, but...no. No. This was a happy moment. Indestructible was able to talk to at least one of her British sisters, even if not one of her direct siblings. She couldn't let a bit of worry get in the way. Hood was smart, she wouldn't befriend one of the Germans- leave alone the one who _sunk her_ -without good reason. So, pushing that aside for the moment...

"How have you been?"

Her younger sister held up her hand, shifting it from side to side, "Well enough. I'm not allowed out to fight as often as I would like, but I have a good time training with the others. And the Admiral keeps me busy."

"I heard you were his secretary." Indestructible couldn't quite keep the disbelief from her voice.

"Not in _that_ way." Hood rolled her eyes, a good-natured smirk taking the place of her smile. "While I _am_ his secretary ship, that doesn't mean I do his paperwork or anything like that. My job is anything from supervising training to helping girls adjust to coming back. I'm more like his second in command."

"Ah. Like a flagship?"

Hood nodded, "Exactly!"

"You deserve that, especially since the wankers can't keep you from refitting now."

It had always been a bit of a sore point, really. Indestructible had hated that Hood wasn't brought in for a refit, to the point where she was limping along compared to her proper speed. Herself and her sisters had received refits to put them on par, if not better than, Hiei...but Hood hadn't. Indestructible firmly believed that was why she had been lost, and it had been something that had her very unhappy. At least, until the short time later that she herself had slipped beneath the waves.

But, that was in the past.

"No, they can't." Hood agreed, happy expression lighting up her face. "And I can actually keep up with everyone now!"

And _there_ was the girl Indestructible remembered. Hood had always been eager to please, to say the least. She might have hid it at times, but it was always there. It was nice to see that hadn't changed. It had Indestructible's chest feeling warm. Warm with _pride_. Her baby sister was back to where she should be. A leadership post, with everything working properly. Sure, she was friends with Bismarck. But Hood was _alright_. And _happy_. That mattered more than anything else. Indestructible was happy as well. She was happy to see all of this.

She would have to thank Shiratsuyu and Admiral Takeda, later.

"And how are _you_ , big sis?" Hood asked, a teasing tone to her voice.

Indestructible sighed softly, "Well enough. Have to deal with a bloody moron who keeps calling me Kongou, but otherwise...great. Hiei is...she's amazing. So are Kirishima and Haruna."

The battleship couldn't help but smile, when she thought about her sisters and new friends.

"And I've got some friends with the destroyers, too."

"Friends? Not sisters?"

There was a _heavy_ teasing tone now. Indestructible rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at her sister.

"I don't make _everyone_ my little sibling. Fubuki, Shiratsuyu and Shigure are just friends. Very good friends...I'd probably have gone crazy if I didn't have them."

And wasn't _that_ an understatement. She relied on those girls quite a lot, even if the 'number one' got a bit annoying. They were all great friends though. Fubuki was helpful and ever eager to please. Shigure understood her in way no one else quite did. Shiratsuyu was...well, she could get frustrating but she gave Indestructible a way to vent her energy. All three of them together...well, they helped a lot.

"Well, that's good to hear." Hood nodded.

"It's good on this end, as well." Indestructible agreed, before sobering up. "I have a question though...do you know where Irresistible and Implacable are?"

Hood frowned, "Not exactly. They should have left Ceyl...Sri Lanka. I don't know beyond that though."

A sigh came from the battleship, "Right. Well, hopefully they will get here soon. Anything else you want to talk about?"

After all, even if she didn't know when her _blood_ sisters would return, Indestructible was quite content to spend the day talking with her youngest adopted sibling. She and Hood had much to catch up on, to say the least.


	19. Omake: The Adventures of IndyKongou III

**The Adventures of Indy and Kongou III**

"Why are we here?"

"Getting philosophical sis?"

"Very funny."

"Well, _I_ thought it was..."

Indestructible rolled her eyes, as her younger sister smirked at her. She appreciated that Irresistible tried to keep her spirits up. But her question _had_ been serious. She was standing with her sisters, looking out at Yokosuka's harbor. The bright sunlight shining off the water illuminated the girls, as they stood by the water. Indestructible herself was pacing, looking down at the water. Part of her was tempted to jump down there and see if leaving could get her home the same way she had ended up here.

The rest of her knew that wasn't worth trying.

"I don't actually mind it all that much here." Irresistible continued, kicking a stray stone into the water. "It's kind of nice, less worry about fighting than back home. And Kongou's hilarious."

"Don't be jumping ship on me."

Irresistible broke out into giggles at that dry statement, "Jealous?"

"Jealous of myself?" Indestructible raised an eyebrow, even as her lip twitched upwards. "Why would I be jealous of _myself_?"

That reduced her sister to helpless giggling, while Implacable gave off a long-suffering sigh from her own position. The youngest of the sisters had been silent, as she thumbed through a book Kirishima had given her. Indestructible smiled at that...her baby sister always was one to read when given the chance. Or anything quiet and calming, really. It was...just how she was.

"Anyway," still, she looked back out at the water. "I don't mind it here, either. Everyone is...nicer. And Kongou is..."

"Wonderful." Implacable spoke up softly.

"Yeah."

Frankly, Indestructible still had a warm feeling whenever she thought of everything her twin had done for her and her sisters. The custom uniforms, though she couldn't quite bring herself to wear it- and Kongou hadn't even cared! She had just said 'it's fine, dess' with that sisterly smile of hers. She understood. And that understanding...the way she had done everything she could to make Indestructible and her sisters feel at home, was so nice. Honestly, the British girl envied her. To so easily adapt to the situation...

 _She may be me, but we aren't the same person. Though, that's hardly a_ bad _thing!_

Snorting softly, Indestructible shook her head. No, it wasn't a bad thing at all.

"But, I miss Hood and the others."

That was the only problem, really. Indestructible missed her _other_ sisters, dearly. She knew they were _here_ , just as her Japanese sisters were. But they didn't know her. Did they? Rebuilding those relationships...well. Take everything one step at a time, and she should enjoy what she _did_ have. Like the fact that crazy German was nowhere in sight.

"I'm sure we'll get back home." Implacable shut her book, walking over to wrap an arm around her sister.

"Yeah, those crazy girls won't give up." Irresistible wrapped around her from the other side, an amused-yet-terrified look on her face at the mention of Akashi and Yuubari.

Indestructible...she smiled herself. At the very least, she had her sisters with her. That was more than enough for her, no matter what else happened. After all, she had the love of her siblings to keep her going forward.

"You're right." The British girl nodded, smiling at her sisters. "Well, we should probably find Kongou and the others before I get tackled again."

Even Implacable let out a soft giggle at that. It had become almost routine, or a ritual maybe, that Kongou would scream BURNING FAMILIAL LOVE and tackle Indestructible to the ground. At least once a day, actually. _At least_. Still, it was just her overly enthusiastic way to show she cared.

"You know you love it sis." Irresistible waggled her eyebrows at her sister.

Who sent a mock glare at the younger girl, "Oi. I do _not_ like being tackled by my _twin_."

"You sure?"

All Indestructible could do was let out a long-suffering sigh, as she shook her head. Irresistible grinned at her in response, as the three British girls wandered back into Yokosuka's base. They didn't get quite as many odd looks, at the least. The Japanese kanmusu had more or less gotten used to the three British warships in their midst. Even if Indestructible herself still got more than a few looks, for her resemblance to Kongou. At least they were curious, instead of suspicious looks. The old battleship could do without the latter, really.

Though, she did miss seeing Fubuki or Shigure waiting for her. Neither of her friends were at this base, and even if they were...they wouldn't remember her.

Pushing those depressing thoughts aside, Indestructible nodded at Nagato, as she walked with her sisters to the mess hall. Her stomach wasn't _quite_ growling at her, but still. Best to get some food in her system, even if tea time was somewhat soon. In fact, Indestructible looked over her shoulder as she piled her plate high, warily watching for her twin. Kongou was prone to pop out of nowhere, dragging a full British tea party with her. Which was a nice taste of home to be fair. But...well. In all honesty...

It still _freaked the bloody hell out of her_. Indestructible had no idea how her sister did have the things she did, and wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know.

"Wonder where Kongou is?" Irresistible spoke up, as she piled an entire bowl of rice into her mouth.

"Careful," Implacable rolled her green eyes, as her sister stuck her tongue out at her.

Indestructible did wonder that herself though. It was almost...foreboding. Something was coming, had to be.

"INDESSTRUCTIBLE!"

And there it was.

Sighing heavily, the girl in question turned to look at the door to the mess hall, "Yes?"

She asked that, since the moment her head had finished turning, Kongou came barreling through. With a small sigh, Indestructible braced herself...only for her twin to come to halt in front of her.

"You never TOLD me you had a...a..."

For perhaps the first time her British counterpart had seen, Kongou was at a loss for words.

"A what?" Indestructible warily asked.

"GIRLFRIEND, dess!"

Indestructible's face went paler faster than it ever had before, as she looked over Kongou's shoulder, "Oh bloody hell..."

"...I couldn't leave you behind, ja?"

SMS Seydlitz, in all her scarred glory, stood behind Kongou.

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"Another storm, oneesama!"

"Oh NO dess!"

Kongou held a hand to her face, as wind pulled at her long brown hair. The Japanese battleship was sailing with her sister Hiei, as they patrolled the coast. Patrolled, and looked for any evidence of how her twin had arrived. Not that Kongou wanted her to leave, of course. She loved Indestructible very much! The girl was too serious, but she was her sister. And Kongou would do _anything_ for her sisters.

Even look for a way to send her home, however much she wanted to keep her close.

That was why she and Hiei were out in the midst of a storm, staying just far enough away to not go in themselves. It wouldn't do to end up in Indestructible's home, dess! But, the storm stayed far enough away that she could just watch it. No Abyssals were in sight at least, as she and her sister sailed around the dark clouds. Stretching to the horizon, the sheets of rain were quite imposing.

No wonder her twin hadn't liked the storm she ended up in!

"Radar is picking something up, oneesama!"

Ever eager to please, Hiei pulled up next to her sister. Kongou had noted the same, and her jovial eyes looked at the thinning storm. The brown pools had sharpened, as she kept a wary watch. Kongou loved to play around, but she wasn't the oldest girl in the JMSDF for no reason.

"Stay close, Hiei."

"Hai, oneesama!"

Both battleships trained their powerful rifles on the storm, as the figure their radar picked up on became more and more visible. A small figure, at least compared to the sisters.

"That isn't an Abyssal, dess!"

And a figure that lacked the...dark and cloying feeling of the enemy. In fact, Kongou's eyes widened as she saw a blonde in a uniform like Bismarck's come out of the storm. A girl with scars along her face, who had her own green eyes widen just as much.

"Indestructible?"

Her accent was a bit thick, but Kongou understood her.

"No, I'm Kongou, dess!"

"...Kongou..."

"Hai!"

The apparent German blinked slowly, as she looked between the Japanese sisters. Kongou merely grinned at her, content to wait the girl out. At least she knew Indestructible! That meant her sister would have another friend, dess! And Kongou was quite happy for that. Even if she was a bit confused on how Indestructible met a German. Or, met a German who was willing to throw herself into a storm looking for the other girl.

It also warmed her heart though. Such friendship!

"Is Indestructible here, at least?" The German girl finally asked.

"Hai!" Kongou repeated, grin widening. "Are you here FRIEND?"

"...yes. I hope more, but yes." The blonde blushed fiercely, as she looked at the battleship. "SMS Seydlitz, nice to meet you...Kongou. You can take me to her, ja?"

Kongou would have answered, but her mouth had dropped open. Even Hiei was floored, as the two Japanese girls stared at their counterpart. Who merely blinked, green eyes showing clear confusion.

At least, until Kongou sped forward and swept her up into a bone-crushing hug.

"My sister has a GIRLFRIEND, dess?!"

"I..."

"You must see INDESSTRUCTIBLE then! I will take you to her!"

Why hadn't her sister told Kongou she had a girlfriend?! How much did it hurt her to leave Seydlitz behind? Well, no matter. Kongou would make sure that the German got to her sister, and then the two could catch up. And if a little sisterly matchmaking was involved, that was just a plus!

 _This is so NICE, dess!_


	20. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

 _I wonder what is wrong?_

Seydlitz brushed blonde hair from her face, as wind blew around her. The little group of ship girls had passed Singapore now, and were in the South China Sea. This area was relatively safe...save for the ability of Abyssals to appear wherever and whenever they chose. But compared to the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean, it was safe enough. Safe enough, that they would be handed off to the Japanese soon in fact. Seydlitz smiled softly at the thought...they were nearly to Japan, and nearly to the end goal of her long journey.

That said, however, there was a reason she wondered if something was wrong. Her green eyes watched Repulse, the redhaired battlecruiser sailing stiffly through the water. While she was certainly stricter than Irresistible, in the short time she had known her, Seydlitz would not have pegged Repulse as this serious. Certainly not after their time in Ceylon.

"Are you okay, Seydlitz?"

Of course, Implacable would notice. Seydlitz had become quite good friends with the youngest Indestructible sister, as the dark-haired battlecruiser pulled up alongside her.

" _I_ am fine." Seydlitz sighed softly, as she looked over at Repulse. "But something seems to be wrong with Repulse."

Implacable looked over at the other battlecruiser, a small frown crossing her face, "Ah, yes. I know what it is."

"You do?"

"Yes. It's not a particular secret, though you wouldn't have a reason to know."

Now her curiosity was piqued, as the German girl looked at her British friend. Implacable returned the look, before sighing. She moved closer to Seydlitz, their bows almost touching as the dark-haired warship started talking again.

"Seydlitz, do you know the ways a ship can die?"

Blinking slowly, Seydlitz nodded, "Ja. Scrapping, sinking in combat, or scut...scuttling."

A nod came from the British girl, "Those are the main three, yes. Now, you know what it feels like to be scuttled."

Shivering, the German nodded again. She knew all too well, what it felt like to be scuttled. The cold. The water rushing through her hull, as the pumps and hatches meant to stop it were smashed or left open. Seydlitz still shuddered, whenever she thought of her death.

"Exactly," Implacable placed a hand on the German's arm, smiling softly at her. "Now, I can't claim to know what it feels like to die in combat. But Repulse did, and so did Invincible. The latter told me it's painful. But through the pain, you know you've done your best. Fought hard, and went down fighting. That's an honorable way to go out, and something any warship could find a good way to die. Right?"

"Ja."

While she herself hadn't _died_ in combat, Seydlitz had come dangerously close on several occasions. Each time, she knew what it felt like. The idea that she wouldn't survive the battle. It had been terrifying, for sure. She had been scared at the idea of dying. But at the same time, the battlecruiser had felt...relief? Dying in combat was the most any warship could ask for. She would fall doing what she had been built for, against a foe who proved just too strong to beat. Nothing bad about that, other than failing to keep her crew alive. And while that would hurt...

It didn't do much to explain Repulse's actions, right now.

"Now, that leaves scrapping."

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Seydlitz focused her attention back on Implacable. Who was giving her a serious look, though the girl...well, always looked serious on some level.

"This is the one I can speak from personal experience on." Implacable continued, a small smile on her face. "Being scrapped is most certainly the peaceful way to go. I remember being pulled into drydock, and shutting my eyes to rest. I was old...it was almost a relief, knowing that I could go to sleep and rest. And that was what I _did_. I went into that dock, and never woke back up. Until I was summoned, anyway."

"You..."

"Fell asleep and never woke up, yes." The British girl finished. "It was...well, if I had to go out, that was the best way to do it. Now, Repulse. She was sunk in battle with Japan. Do you know where?"

Seydlitz shook her head, "Nein. I didn't even know that much...I...haven't studied much of your military history, save for Indestructible's."

Implacable rolled her eyes in a manner much like her elder sister, "You and my sister...anyway, Repulse was sunk by air attack, nearby. We're nearly to where her hull rests, even now. Along with Prince of Wales."

"Ah... _ah_..."

Now it made sense. Seydlitz could see why the British battlecruiser was acting as she was, now. Not that she had experienced the same...her own hull had been scrapped after her scuttling, as she had learned upon returning. But it couldn't be easy to sail around your hull. It was akin to a human gaining a new body and walking by their grave, more or less. Not exactly the most comfortable thing in the...

"You're not right." Implacable spoke up, her voice holding a hint of pain.

"What?" Seydlitz blinked slowly, green eyes turning back to the dark-haired warship.

The battlecruiser shook her head, hair waving in the wind, "You're assuming Repulse is like this because of her hull being nearby, correct?"

"Ja." The German nodded, "Isn't that true?"

"To an extent. But..." Implacable sighed heavily now, pain clear in her own green eyes. "It is not just her hull, that is the issue. Ever since she was found, Indonesian and Malaysian salvagers were stripping her of anything valuable."

 _No..._

The German flinched back, her face paling. That...that...

"Why? How?"

It was all she could do, to get that out. Seydlitz held a hand to her heart, as she looked at Repulse. The redhead was still looking at the water, as she sailed along. But now Seydlitz could see the way she clenched her hand. The way her shoulders were tensed even more than she had thought.

"Money," her friend replied. "That is all it needed. Not only did they strip her and Wales of their valuable metals, they were starting to use explosives on their hulls, to get at what was left."

"That is..." Seydlitz took in a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Horrible. Horrible, that anyone could do that. Do they not know...?"

"This was before the Abyssals, and if there is anything to thank them for, it is stopping illegal salvage." Implacable sighed, looking away, her green eyes slightly wet. "I'm sorry, this is a...sensitive subject, for us all. The closest I could say is to someone raiding a grave and cutting up the body, to sell the parts. Repulse was _so angry_ when she came back...if her sister hadn't been there to hold her back, I worry what may have happened. I've never seen someone so angry before..."

The British battlecruiser shook her head, looking at Seydlitz with a lopsided frown on her face.

"I know what this has to sound like. Britain happily takes steel from _your_ cousins still in Scapa Flow, but we complain about the same being done to our warships? I've never asked Kronprinz, for example, what she feels about her hull. But we have it happen to our sisters, and..."

"Nein."

Implacable blinked, "Seydlitz?"

For her part, the German shook her own head, green eyes harder than diamond, "Implacable, you forget something my friend. _My_ hull was raised and scrapped entirely, after I had already died. I will admit I didn't find out until after I had returned, but I was never angry. If anything, I was happy that my hull found some use, after my crew betrayed me like that. I imagine my cousins feel much the same."

Her friend looked confused, and Seydlitz could hardly blame her for that. After all, her reaction to what _seemed_ like the same thing that happened to Repulse, was quite different. But then, there was a difference, wasn't there? An important difference.

"But, we sunk with no crew aboard. We were empty hulks, fit for nothing _but_ scrapping. Repulse and Prince of Wales? I assume they are war graves, ja?"

"Yes."

"Then that is where the difference is. Repulse has every right to be angry, on behalf of her crew..." Seydlitz trailed off, lost in memories of her own crew. Before they had betrayed her, so deeply. "Any of us would feel the same."

And in that regard, Seydlitz turned away from Repulse, and looked at the water beneath her. She knew of one other British girl, who had been killed in combat. Who had sank beneath the waves. Who rested under the sea, likely with at least a few of her crew aboard.

 _Indestructible..._

"I think I understand now, how Repulse feels." Seydlitz didn't mention her worries, as she looked at Indestructible's sister.

Implacable merely smiled, hugging Seydlitz before moving aside, "Yes, I think you do. You're quite smart, Seydlitz. I'm glad to have you as a friend."

"As I am glad to have _you_."

Both girls smiled at each other, before slipping back into silence. Implacable keeping an eye on Repulse, as they drew ever closer to the younger girl's hull. Seydlitz, lost in thought. Every time she learned more about these girls, it made her act like that. After spending so much time among them, she almost...felt at home. Yes, that was what she felt.

Seydlitz knew she would never be as close to them, as she was to her own half-sisters and cousins in the _Kaiserliche Marine_. But she felt she understood the British. Or, at least, the Indestructible sisters. Save, of course, for their eldest sibling. And as she looked at the rising sun in the distance, Seydlitz felt a smile tug at her lips. It would only be a matter of a few days now, before she reached Japan. Before she _finally_ saw Indestructible...

* * *

"Is Kaga finally back?"

HMS Indestructible paced through the hall, as she looked at Hiei. Her sister looked back, her head tilted slightly in confusion. The two battleships stood outside the carrier dorms, mostly because of Indestructible. Ever since her talk with Hood, she had been impatiently waiting for Kaga to return. Not that one could blame her for that, of course. Her talk with her adopted sister had just served to remind Indestructible of something, in a way that not even Hiei could.

That it _hurt_ to not have your sisters with you.

And Kaga, had never felt what it was like to have a sister. Sure, from what Fubuki told her- with stars in her eyes -Akagi was quite close to Kaga. Like a surrogate sister, even. But...that wasn't the same. Indestructible knew that, better than most. It was why she had been so determined to help Kaga get Tosa back to begin with. That she now had an even greater reason to try, changed little in that regard.

"I think she is, but I don't know onee-sama." Hiei finally spoke up, confusion clear in her voice as well. "Why Kaga-san?"

"I promised her..." Indestructible sighed softly.

"Promise?"

"That I would help get Tosa back."

Hiei's blue eyes widened, "You're trying to summon Tosa?!"

"Well, not _me_ ," the British girl couldn't help her smile. "But yes, I am trying to _help_. I owe her."

"For what?"

 _Right, never did tell her..._

Indestructible sighed again, "I was summoned in place of Tosa. I owe Kaga, because I took the place of her sister."

It still wasn't easy to think about that. Indestructible didn't know why she had ended up in Japan. Or why it had been her summoned, in place of Tosa. But the point remained, that she felt she _owed Kaga_. She had taken her sister's place, and the least that the British girl could do was try and right that wrong. Even if she hadn't the slightest idea how to do so.

"Oh..." Hiei nodded, her shoulder slumping slightly.

"Don't worry," Indestructible placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I can help her, and that's what I'll do."

"Onee-sama, what if she doesn't want the help? Kaga-san is..." The younger battleship held up a hand, shaking it slightly. "She's kind of scary, sometimes. Even for me!"

"Well, she didn't say _no_..."

Granted, she hadn't exactly said _yes_ either.

Regardless though, Indestructible wasn't going to take no for an answer. She felt guilty and worried, and the only way to deal with that was to do her best to get Tosa back. No matter how difficult that proved to be, in the long run. Indestructible was hardly one to back down from a problem, no matter what it took to succeed. It was her personality, really.

"Well, if that's what you're doing then I'll help!" Hiei nodded sharply, as she pumped a fist into the air. "After all, I want to help you onee-sama!"

"Help with what?"

Both battleships turned at the soft voice, soon identified as belonging to Akagi. The long-haired carrier smiled softly, pretty well her default expression. Her brown eyes were questioning however, as she brushed a bit of hair from her face. Indestructible stepped forward, looking around for Kaga. She knew that the other carrier had been out on patrol with Akagi. So logically, she should be with the girl...right?

But no matter where she looked, there was no sign of the stoic carrier.

Sighing at that, Indestructible turned to look back at Akagi. The small smile had never left the kindly carrier's face, though she was watching the British girl quite warily. It would be nice to say that Indestructible didn't blame her for that reaction...but she was still an unknown factor to most of the Japanese girls. Her...problems...with Goto hardly helped in that regard, did they?

Shaking herself, the Brit sighed again, "I was hoping to help her bring Tosa back."

Akagi's face lit up at that, the wary look vanishing as quick as it had come, "Oh! Kaga-san did say she was going to talk with Admiral Takeda about that. Should I take you to her?"

"...she was going to try doing this alone, wasn't she?"

"I think so."

"Bloody hell..." Indestructible shook her head, more in bemusement than anything. Not that she was one to talk, but what was with trying to do thing alone?

 _I suppose this is that 'pride' Shiratsuyu told me about._

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"Kaga!"

The prideful carrier in question turned, raising an eyebrow, "Indestructible-san."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to try summoning her, you bloody fool!"

Indestructible probably _could_ have been a bit nicer about it. But damn it, she was annoyed with Kaga. The carrier should know better than to try doing everything alone.

"Ah, I thought you were involved."

On that note, Admiral Takeda looked more amused than anything else. His mouth twitched into a smile, the aged man shaking his head at the carrier and battleship. And, for that matter, at Akagi and Hiei trailing behind the British spitfire that was Indestructible. It was abundantly clear that Takeda was neither surprised, nor annoyed with the situation. Granted, he already knew that she was going to talk with Kaga about this. Not that the British battleship had a chance to do so, before Kaga went roaring off on her own.

Which was part of the annoyance Indestructible felt, really. She was supposed to _talk_ with Kaga, before they tried.

"I was going to talk to her first, Admiral." Indestructible replied, nodding at the man. Japanese or not, she respected Takeda after everything that had happened.

"I did not see a point in waiting." Kaga spoke up, her voice soft but her eyes hiding the pain that Indestructible knew to look for. "I understand the risks in attempting this, and I would rather not put it off any longer than necessary."

"Still, you should have..."

"Should I have? Tosa-neesan is my sister."

Indestructible bristled, "Look, I want to..."

A light cough interrupted the girls, as Takeda's mouth twitched up further, "No need to argue, Kaga, Indestructible. We can start the ritual now, easily enough. I had already prepared the necessary resources beforehand, though I had hoped to wait. If we must do it now, however...follow me."

With that piece spoken, Takeda spun on his heel, and set off. Indestructible...she recognized the route. She may have only walked this route once in her life, but it was impossible to forget. The room he was leading her- and Akagi, Kaga, and Hiei -to...that was the room she had come back in. The first place she had seen, in this body. In this life. It was rather hard to forget something like that, wasn't it? It was the place where she had been 'born again' if one wanted to look at it that way. Where she had begun her second chance at life.

Still...the British girl shook her head, pushing those thoughts back. Right now, this wasn't about her. This was about Kaga, who was walking alongside her. Who was looking at the battleship with an expression that was unreadable, even for her. Indestructible shook her head again, worried by that. She didn't know why Kaga wanted to try the summoning alone, and it almost worried her.

"Kaga, why did you try doing this alone?"

And she asked as much.

"Tosa-neesan is my sister, as I said." Kaga replied shortly, her hand twitching towards the ribbon in her hair. "If we are to try summoning her, it is my place to do so. You need not worry about helping me."

"Maybe, but I said I would. And I can be stubborn like that."

Kaga's mouth twitched, ever so slightly, "So I have noticed."

"Wanker."

If it were anyone else, Indestructible might have worried about getting an arrow jabbed somewhere unpleasant. Kaga merely rolled her eyes, though she tried to hide it. The Brit took that as a victory, honestly. Because as they entered the summoning room, it meant that Kaga was willing to put up with her. Which was _good_ , since she didn't have a choice. The summoning was going to happen, with her around.

It was the least she could do, for taking Tosa's place in the first...place.

"Kaga, please stand by the circle. Indestructible, with me. Akagi and Hiei...stay by the door." Takeda was clearly not one to waste time either, as he stood with the ones who were actually going to do the summoning.

Following his instructions, Indestructible stood by the Admiral. She watched the unfamiliar movements of the, well, what she _assumed_ were Shinto priests? She may have been a Japanese ship at one point in time, but this was all very alien to her nonetheless. Perhaps that was why Takeda had her stand by him, as Kaga began to join in with the chanting.

 _I guess all we can do is hope that her voice is the catalyst..._

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

 _Come_ _back_...

 _No. I will not come back. You betrayed me. Left me to rot, when I could have served. Tossed me aside, just to fulfill some treaty. Killed me before I could serve, all for no reason. Cut me from my sister, for no reason._

 _We need you_

 _You didn't need me before! You just used me as a target, and then left me to die. How is that_ needing _me? I only wanted to serve proudly. Japan...I wanted to serve my homeland, as any battleship would. And I did, but as a target. To be used and tossed aside, like so much trash. How_ honorable _...used like that. Not even able to say goodbye to my sister!_

 _Please._

 _I hate this. I hate that I was used like I was. I hate Japan. I hate everything. You will not bring me back, to a world and nation that decreed I was useless. That I had no purpose. There is no one who has the right to call me back like that. I would destroy anyone who tried. No matter that I never had the chance to use or fire my weapons, I would destroy them!_

 _There is no reason for me to come back!_

 _Oneesan..._

 _Kaga?_

 _Come back Oneesan. Tosa, come back._

 _My sister...I..._

 _No, not even for Kaga. I can't come back. I'm too angry. I would hurt her, to come back like this. Destruction. Ruin. Death. I want to do all of this. Kaga should not have to see me like this._

 _Tosa-oneesan...please come back. I need you._

 _Kaga...my sister...Kaga..._

 _-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-_

"Did it work?" Indestructible asked warily, as a flash of light started in the summoning circle.

" _A_ summoning has happened." Takeda replied. "Be ready, if you are needed."

Indestructible winced at the tone in the Admiral's voice. How could she not? The implication in his words was abundantly clear. That she should be ready, to fire on whoever was summoned. That was not why she had come here. Not at all. Indestructible wanted to help get Tosa back. Not help put her down, if she came back in a situation where it was needed.

But, she would do what she had to.

 _I hope it isn't needed..._

Warily watching the summoning circle, Indestructible waited for the light to clear. It was only when that light faded, that she could see a human form in the center of the circle. A tall woman, her body slim but powerfully built. Her bust rivaled that of Nagato- if not surpassing it -and her arms rippled with strength. This was a battleship alright...a _powerful_ battleship. Indestructible wasn't confident she would win in a fight with this girl, if it came to blows.

At the least though, Kaga wasn't acting like it wasn't Tosa. If anything, the carrier was shocked silent. Her brown eyes had widened, an entirely unlike her expression on her face. Kaga's mouth hung open, as she held out a hand.

"Oneesan..."

Turning from Kaga, Indestructible focused back on the girl. On Tosa.

"She's back," the British girl breathed out.

The key had been Kaga, then. Indestructible almost sagged with relief, as Tosa climbed to her feet. The battleship's eyes were shut, as she held up shaking hands. As she brushed pitch-black hair from her face, a tattered blue ribbon holding it back in a loose ponytail. Her mouth opened after she did so, the battleship's voice coming out scratchy and deep.

"Kaga."

 _No!_

Indestructible tensed in shock, as Tosa opened blue eyes. Blue eyes, with one glowing an unnatural blue.


	21. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

 _No...no no no..._

Indestructible jumped in front of Admiral Takeda, as she looked forward. Brown eyes remained focused entirely on the area in front of her. On the _girl_ in front of her. The powerful battleship, that could snap most warships like a twig. And this was a battleship she had to prepare to _fight_. For Tosa bore the classic markings of an Abyssal. While she had only seen them in pictures, Indestructible recognized it. Dark black hair, lank and almost _wet_. A distinct smell of salt water. Pale skin. And her _eyes_. Tosa's blue eyes, staring for the moment at Kaga. One was normal, but the other...

The other glowed with unnatural light, just like the pictures.

And yet, she had not moved. Tosa's eyes, normal and glowing, were focused entirely on Kaga. Who, for her part, had not moved an inch either. Despite every instinct that girl had. A carrier that close to a potentially hostile battleship was in a _bad place_. Hiei had moved in front of a stunned Akagi for exactly that reason. But Kaga, despite her experience and personality, had made no similar moves. Indestructible had to resist the temptation to rush out and pull her to safety.

"What are you doing..." The British girl muttered, looking between the sisters anxiously.

Her fingers twitched, her crew warily waiting for the order to fire. Indestructible had no illusions of course...even at this close of a range, Tosa had far more than enough armor to take a few hits. Hiei was even worse off. But if it came down to it...

She _would_ fire.

"Kaga."

The battleship's attention was drawn back to Tosa, however. The younger battleship, her voice still scratchy and entirely too deep, had not turned away from her sister.

"Onee-san," Kaga replied, her own voice...weak. There was no longer the stoic carrier. Now there was nothing but shock, and worry.

"I..." Tosa shook her head, the glow in her eye stubbornly refusing to fade. "Why? Why did you...?"

"We needed you..."

"No you don't!"

Twitching, Indestructible pushed Admiral Takeda further behind her. Even Kaga flinched back, though Indestructible couldn't see her face from the angle she was standing at. Regardless of that though, it was readily apparent nonetheless...that the carrier was stunned by the outburst. _Tosa_ was stunned, as the battleship flinched back, holding a hand to her face.

"Indestructible..." Takeda whispered.

"Stay here, Admiral."

The British girl was far from inclined to let the Admiral get himself hurt. Though she was forced to look back at the sisters, as Tosa backed away.

"You _never needed me_." Tosa continued, her hand not once moving from her face. Even as she shook her head, lank hair swaying with the motion. "I was tossed aside, used as a test despite how complete I was. I never had the chance to serve. To _live_. Kaga, you have no idea how that _feels_. How _angry_ I am!"

Tosa practically spit out the last words, her hand falling away at last. The glow in her eye had not faded in the least, as she glared out at the room in general. Not at Kaga, and not at Indestructible. Perhaps, in her anger, she had failed to notice the Admiral or the British battleship. But, that would not last forever. Indestructible tensed further, as she watched Kaga move forward. There was none of the of the calm strides that had become somewhat familiar to the British girl. No, Kaga walked forward almost hesitantly.

That she did even that, was something that- perhaps -only Indestructible could understand.

For no matter what Tosa was...or what she was acting like...she was still Kaga's only sister. If _anyone_ could get through to her, it would be the carrier. The carrier, and no one else. Not even Indestructible, who had experienced abandonment all on her own, could do that. Tosa needed her sister. And Indestructible could only stand back, and keep the Admiral safe. No matter what her instincts were screaming at her.

 _I am_ not _going to be the one to take Kaga's sister from her. Not a chance in hell._

"I..." Kaga spoke, her voice softer than usual. "Onee-san, please. I don't want to fight you, or I would not have asked you to come back."

"The last thing I want is to hurt _you_." The battleship shot back. "But you should have let me rest. I'm not...I'm not like you remember me, Kaga. I am _so angry_. I want nothing more than to destroy everything around us, and find a way to show Japan the pain I felt. No one can understand that feeling."

Clenching her fist, Tosa brought it down on the wall she had moved towards. Her fist punched clean through, no sign it even hurt her.

"Look at me, Kaga. Look at how easily I can destroy things. Do you have _any_ idea how much it tempts me to draw my weapons and..."

Kaga shook her head, stepping forward again, "Onee-san, I cannot claim to understand how you feel. I was...hurt. It pained me so much, to see you lost. To know I would likely never see you again. Were it not for Indestructible, I would not have even tried this."

"Indestructible..."

"Yes. She has been...a great aid."

Tosa shook her head, blue eyes shifting from Kaga, and finally noticing the British battleship. Indestructible tensed at that, as she pushed herself to cover Takeda further. She could see the anger in Tosa's eyes better, now that _she_ was the focus of it. And it was very clear, that this girl was barely holding herself back. The glowing eye...the British girl could _see_ how much anger was held in it.

 _Just like that picture._

"You," Tosa spoke, her scratchy voice not once changing tone. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was summoned here. Not my choice, mind. But it was..."

"No, why are you _here_."

The anger in her voice had Indestructible frown, "Pardon?"

"There was no reason for you, of all people, to call me back!" Tosa practically snarled, her eyes narrowing as her fist clenched on non-existent weapons. "You left us behind, left your sisters behind."

Indestructible couldn't help it. She stumbled back like she was physically struck, her brown eyes widening. She...

"I didn't leave anyo..."

"You did! I was tossed aside, but at least I mourned losing my sister! You... _you_...just found new sisters."

"I..."

Had she done that? Had she abandoned all thoughts of reuniting with Hiei, content to have Implacable and Irresistible? Had she used her British siblings as surrogates for her Japanese siblings?

"Onee-san..." Kaga tried to break in, only for Tosa to push her aside.

The glare on the battleship's face had not faded, as her normal eye glared at Indestructible every bit as much as her glowing one.

"At one point, I thought you might understand me. You had faced the same I had...abandonment by Japan. Tossed aside because it was inconvenient to keep you. But...I realized something, as I rested." The Japanese battleship narrowed her eyes again, pointing at herself. "I had only Kaga. In being tossed aside, I failed to do what a sister _should_ do. And that hurt almost more than being abandoned in the first place. But _you_ were given new sisters, and abandoned your old ones, all to serve another nation. _I h̠̻̩͉a̸t͉e͎̜̲̰͇ ̟̗t̰͖̕h̯͖̼͇a͡t̬͍̞ͅ."_

Everyone in the room, save for Tosa herself, flinched back at those words. Her voice...had taken on a tone that had the ship girls in the room on edge, unable to believe they were hearing it from...one of them. Indestructible flinched back more than any, however. Those words...they hit her, directly in her heart. She had...she had mourned the loss of her sisters. Indestructible had never _once_ forgotten Hiei and the others. How could she? How could she _ever_ forget her beloved siblings? The very idea...

But...

She had done what Tosa accused her of. She had latched onto the British battlecruisers, both her true sisters and the others, and tried to turn them all into one big family. Indestructible had tried to take the pain of losing her Japanese sisters, and compensate by attaching herself to the British. And in a way, that was abandoning Hiei, Haruna, and Kirishima. Abandoning any hope of seeing them again.

 _I...never thought..._

"Onee-sama!"

Head snapping up, Indestructible looked, her eyes locking onto Hiei. Who was giving her a big grin, her thumb up despite the fact she was still shielding Akagi.

"I never hated you, or blamed you! I know you couldn't see us, but you're here now. I love you, you know that!"

"Hiei..."

"You're my sister...Indestructible." Hiei's grin softened, as she saw the look on her sister's face. "So don't let her get to you!"

Squaring her shoulders, the British girl nodded. Her heart was warmed by those words...no matter the situation. No matter what Tosa said. _Hiei_ was the one who would have had real reason to be angry, yet she wasn't. And that meant...

"You're wrong." Indestructible turned to look at Tosa, who had kept up her glare. "I was abandoned, just like you were. And you know, I hated Japan for a long time too. I...I'm still not particularly fond of them. I have my sisters, and friends like Kaga. But I still don't like the idea of being here. But you know the difference between us?"

"What?" Tosa ground out.

"I had someone save me." The battleship replied, looking down at her Royal Navy uniform. "Yes, I may have grown attached to my new home. And yes, I may have used my sisters in Britain as a way to forget the pain of losing Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima. But...I had a home. I was able to serve, and live my life to it's fullest. So...bloody hell, I can't understand how you feel. I can understand how it feels to be abandoned, but not to fall without a chance to live. Still, I don't blame you for how you feel, Tosa."

Indestructible shook her head, a small frown crossing her lips.

"Even so, I won't fight you if you don't make me. I hope you can come to accept what happened. I have, though it wasn't easy."

Tosa looked away, her hands clenching in her dark skirt, "How can I ever forgive Japan for w̖͞h̹̤̝͉̹a͕͞t̷̻͕̤ ͙t̟͉̘̲h̗͇̟͍͟e̬̩y̖̤ ͚d̩̩̹͖̟̘͝i҉̲d͍͓͓̳̫̝ ̧t͕̭͉̹̣̟͡o̘̫ ̘̻̪m̝̪̫̥̳e͕̤̲͍̬͞?̗́"

"You probably can't. I _haven't_ forgiven them."

The battleship looked up at that, and it wasn't just her. But Indestructible only looked at Tosa. Looked in the girl's blue eyes, the light in her unnatural one fading ever so slightly.

"I may understand why I was abandoned. And I know why. But that does _not_ mean I forgive Japan. I will probably never forgive them." Indestructible continued, studiously avoiding looking at Takeda behind her. "But...I can _accept_ it. And I don't hate anyone I've met since I returned. Not one of them had anything to do with what happened to me. Bloody hell, not one person I've met- ship girl or otherwise -was even _born_ when that happened. It would be hypocritical of me, to blame them for something they had nothing to do with."

"Even..."

"Even though I can never forgive the _nation_ or the people who did it." The British girl sighed heavily, looking over at her sister. Hiei smiled at her, something Indestructible returned before turning back around. "I have done nothing but make friends since I returned. I can't hate them."

 _Well, leaving aside that wanker Goto. But one step at a time here Indestructible..._

"I..." Tosa looked conflicted, as she held a hand to her glowing eye.

Conflicted, until Kaga stepped back into view. Indestructible could actually see the carrier's face now, and it had her eyes widening. Kaga's stoic expression was gone, her own brown eyes slightly red. The carrier only sent a small nod her way though, before moving forward to Tosa. Kaga pulled her sister's hand down, completely uncaring of the anger that Tosa had already shown. Uncaring of the danger she was in. Tosa stared at her sister, wide-eyed. But the anger wasn't there.

If anything, she almost looked...ashamed?

"Onee-san," Kaga spoke quietly, holding her sister's hand tightly. "I do not blame you for how you feel. I could never blame you. But all I can ask you, is that you do not let it become all you feel. I...am not good good at expressing how I feel, but I know this much. If you let anger rule your actions, you will be no better than the Abyssals. I...do not want to lose you again."

Kaga squeezed her sister's hand even tighter, brown eyes staring into the blue counterparts of her sister.

"I do not know if I can handle losing you for a second time, Tosa onee-san."

Tosa's eyes widened further, before tears built up in them. Even the stubborn glow in her right eye faded, if not completely...then at least enough to not be noticeable compared to the tears. Her pale arms pulled her sister into a hug, Kaga's shocked body not resisting the movement. Even if her own arms were extremely hesitant, as the carrier returned the gesture. The sisters tightly held on to each other, making Indestructible feel like she was intruding. On some level she was...this _should_ have been a private moment.

And, in fact, Admiral Takeda tapped her shoulder. The British girl turned away to look at him, the man's aged features twisted into a small smile.

"We should leave."

"Admiral?"

"I think we do not need to worry, now. Kaga will keep her sister from snapping..." Takeda nodded at the door, where Indestructible saw familiar black hair. "Moreover, Nagato and Mutsu are here. They will keep an eye on Tosa, until we can...figure out what has happened here. Otherwise, I feel that you have done what you can. If Tosa desires to talk to you further, she will. And right now..."

The Admiral looked over at the sisters, neither of whom had moved from their embrace.

"Right now, I feel we will only be in the way. Kaga needs this, as much as Tosa does. They are sisters, and I am sure you understand that better than most." Takeda sighed softly. "I hardly enjoy taking this risk, however, I really do believe it is the best chance we have. Kaga and Tosa will talk, and we can only hope that is enough. Attempting to force her to do anything would..."

Indestructible winced, "Not end well."

"Indeed."

And so, the British girl followed the Admiral. Hiei and Akagi were close behind, as Nagato and Mutsu moved into the room to take their place. Indestructible nodded gratefully at both of the larger battleships. Nagato merely nodded back, but Mutsu sent a soft smile and a thumbs up at the Brit. Smiling at that, the battleship truend back to Takeda. Hiei and Akagi were standing a respectful distance away, the former hugging the latter. Akagi was clearly overwhelmed then.

Not that Indestructible wasn't. She didn't like leaving Kaga in there, but...it was truly the best option. Tosa seemed to love her sister enough to get past her anger. And, well, that was the important thing. Getting her past that anger.

 _Still, I am worried. What if Tosa..._

That thought would have to wait, as Takeda sent a weary smile up at the battleship. The Japanese Admiral tapped a headset she hadn't noticed he was wearing, as he looked over at the exit of the building.

"I confess, there was another reason to come out here. I received a message from Ise," Takeda spoke up. "And you will be happy to hear that the handoff of your sisters is complete. They should be here in a matter of two or three days."

 _My...sisters. Irresistible. Implacable. They will finally be back with me!_

And, despite Commander Goto...despite Tosa...Indestructible felt a grin crossing her face.


	22. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

Kaga was not blind or deaf. She heard the sound of the door opening and closing, sealing her in the summoning room. Alone with none but her sister for company, the sister desperately clutching her. Kaga was...not comfortable. She never was, not with physical displays of emotion like this. Akagi was, and would often hug any and all she felt needed it. The battleship-turned-carrier was not like her friend and surrogate sister, however. It was too much to expect her to actually hug someone. Kaga knew she was standoffish.

If one was being brutally honest, she was perfectly okay with this fact.

But now? Here she was, hugging the sister thought lost. And Kaga had absolutely no idea what to do. Her arms loosely hung around shaking shoulders. The warm wetness of tears soaked her uniform's shoulder. She felt, more than heard, the sobs against her busty chest. Kaga felt her heart pounding away at these feelings. Her body warmed up, as her face flushed. But through all of it, she didn't let go.

She _couldn't_ let go.

"Tosa...onee-san..." Kaga whispered, voice soft as a feather as she gently squeezed her sister.

"Shh," Tosa whispered back, her scratchy voice cracking further. The battleship squeezed her sister even tighter, the _crack_ of bending joints echoing through the room.

And still, Kaga made no noise of protest. Even as she felt her body bend in her sister's too tight grip. Tosa didn't notice, of course. Her elder sister seemed to only be concerned with the hug, and nothing else. The battleship only let out a choked sob, as she clung to the carrier.

"Don't leave _me_ Kaga." Tosa's voice broke completely, sounding nothing more like a child afraid to lose her mother. Or sister, as the case may be. "I...I don't know what I'll do. Losing you was worse than anything else. The abandonment. The anger. It all paled in comparison to losing my only sister."

Not knowing how to respond, Kaga gently rubbed her sister's back. She felt muscles loosen under the motions, her sister's tense back relaxing ever so slightly. It was like a coiled spring, ready to fire at a moment's notice. And if her back felt a bit clammy and cold, Kaga didn't allow it to influence what she was doing. Akagi had done this to her, several times, and it had always worked.

 _I will have to thank Akagi-san later._

"I have no intention of leaving," Kaga finally spoke, her soft voice lacking any of her usual stoicism. "I will be here, and nowhere else. You forget, onee-san. I felt the same pain, once upon a time. I never believed I would see you again. Even after I returned, I had little hope we would ever reunite. Now that we have, I will _not_ let you go. Never again."

Tosa shook against Kaga's chest, as the battleship gripped her sister's uniform almost painfully. "I won't leave either. No matter what I have to do or what happens, ẉ̝̟̝̞e͈̘̳̹̞̤̮ ̞̱̗̭̖̲w̼o̢n̳̼͈̫̳͓'̭̙̱̳t̨̟̠ ̫̝̫b͍̣́e̳̝̮̟ ̼t̴͎͕o̸̻̭̭̲͚̥r̤̳̩̜̕ͅn̷͇̖̫̖̪̞ ̭̞̙̞͠a̻̰̳̕p̨̜̗̪̙̲͚̜a͕r̷̲̖̪͕̟͖t ̬a̗̜̱g̹̘͚a̼̞̮̠̣͕̜͜ì̘̲n̤͍͕.̯̠̫̲̙"

Eyes widening, Kaga flinched back on instinct. Those words...the tone in her sister's voice. It was like ice water ran down her spine, quenching even the heat of her body. Like water pouring into her old hull, putting out her boilers. Kaga's heart pounded in her chest, every instinct she had screaming _danger danger danger._ There was a _wrongness_ to Tosa's words.

A feeling that had Kaga's stoicism gone, like petals in the wind.

"Kaga?" Tosa's voice seemed more confused than anything else, as she looked down at her empty arms. Before turning blue eyes back up at the carrier...one stubbornly glowing an unnatural blue. Kaga felt her own brown eyes drawn to that glow. Looking into Tosa's eye was like staring into the endless abyss. The glow spoke of power, of anger and despair. "Is something...?"

Shaking her head, the carrier pulled away from her sister. The crushed look on Tosa's face hurt, but...she couldn't. She just _couldn't_.

"Your voice, onee-san."

"My..." her sister's eyes widened, before Tosa slapped a hand over her glowing eye. Her pale face twisted into a grimace, as the battleship's exposed eye filled with nothing but pain and regret. "I'm sorry, Kaga. I am...I..."

Tosa couldn't finish, as she turned away. Her free hand slammed into the same wall it had hit before, punching another hole. Kaga could see the strength in the blow. Her sister's muscles rippled beneath her dark uniform, moving with the ease of pistons. Nearly one-hundred thousand ship horsepower. More than enough to snap her like a twig, even if Kaga had more power in her own arms.

She didn't trust that power. And even if she did, Kaga could _never_ raise her arms to a countryman. Her sister? No. No. She would never, could never, harm Tosa.

"I know what I am." Tosa's crushed voice spoke up again. Red-rimmed blue looked into brown, as the battleship turned to face her sister. Her pale face looked gaunter than ever, as Tosa held up her hand. A hand that bore no mark from the punch. A hand that was paler than even Indestructible's somewhat light skin tone. "I'm a monster. I came back, and all I want to do is destroy. You know that, I know that. If I were given half the chance, I would..."

The battleship shook her head, lank black hair swaying with the motion. Tosa's eyes refused to look at her sister now, as she clenched her hands.

"I am so _angry_ , Kaga. You are...you are the only one I'm not angry with. I could never _be_ angry with you. But, that doesn't change what I am. I want to make everyone feel my pain. I ̣̼͙̟w̨͙̺̥a̩n̛̟̟̹̘t͏̳ ͉̤̀t́ͅo͕̝ ̥̻̪͘d͈̣̹̠̰͉e̸̲̪͎͓s̹̼̙͓tr̻̟o͎̞̘̖̞̭̺y̝̩̹.̧̗̰̱"

Again, Kaga felt the ice run down her spine. Again, she had to fight every instinct she had to run. But Kaga was a proud woman. She was, along with Akagi, Carrier Division One. The pride of the _Kido Butai_. The pride of Japan. And Kaga would never betray that. The trust her nation placed in her, was something she could never betray. And she would stand by it, to her dying breath.

No matter the cost. No matter the problem. She would face it head on, and defeat it. Such was the promise of aircraft carrier Kaga.

"Onee-san, I know what you are talking about." Kaga held up her own hand, highlighting the difference between the sisters. Where Kaga held a healthy complexion, Tosa was deathly pale. Where Kaga's hand was dainty, Tosa's was rough. But for all the differences...there was the similarity that only sister's held. "Abyssals. That is what we call them."

Tosa snorted humorlessly, "Does it matter what they are called? No, it doesn't. Because what matters is what I _am_! A monster!"

"You are _not_."

Kaga stepped forward, despite her sister stepping back. Her feet ghosted over the tile beneath them, not a sound save for the swish of her short skirt and Tosa's rapidly retreating footsteps. Kaga would not let her sister escape, however. She continued forward, until Tosa was backed into a wall. Brown eyes stared at the battleship, daring her to try moving. She wouldn't...she _couldn't_ let her sister leave. Not until Tosa got it through her stubborn head, that she was _not_ a monster.

Hm. Was this what everyone else thought of her? Stubborn to a fault?

 _No matter. I must convince Tosa onee-san that she is okay._

"Onee-san, you are _not_ a monster. Would you ever hurt me?"

"Of course not!" Tosa was quick to reply, her eyes narrowing in a silent challenge. Her hands clenched in her skirt, the battleship clearly holding herself back. Somehow.

"Would you harm Akagi-san? Indestructible-san?"

Her sister grimaced, taking in a breath to calm down. Tosa shut her eyes, holding her breath in for several seconds. The blue objects, glow remaining in one, only opened when she let the breath out. "No. Akagi has done nothing to earn my anger, and likely helped you where I couldn't. Indestructible, I have to talk with again."

Kaga nodded sharply, not once looking away from her sister, "Then we have no problem. Simply stay with myself, Akagi-san, or Indestructible-san. I cannot claim to understand your anger, onee-san. But I will do anything I must to help you overcome it. You are my sister, and I will _not_ let you fall. On the pride of the First Carrier Division, I swear that."

Anyone who knew Kaga, would know what those words meant. She only invoked the pride of her Division in this regard, when it was something deathly important to her. Kaga would sooner die, than dishonor her unit. Or Akagi, her sister in all but blood. And right now? Nothing was more important to her, not even her pride...than making sure her sister never left her again. Tosa would _not_ become a full Abyssal.

It would be a lie, to say she wasn't terrified at the idea that her sister was this close to becoming one. Like...like...the Demon of Yokosuka. Kaga had to shake her head, her ponytail slapping against her cheek, to get the image of that girl from her mind. Her sister would _not_ become like that monstrosity. Not if she had anything to do with it.

No matter how difficult it was, in the end.

"I'm..." Tosa spoke up again, her voice much more subdued now as she slumped against the wall. Blue eyes downcast, as she ran a hand along her pale face. "I don't know how you can _fix_ me, Kaga. I'm too angry. If it weren't you asking me this, I would have long ago started..."

Tosa shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut in a mixture of pain and frustration.

"If you weren't here, I would not be holding myself back. I would likely not have returned, either."

"Then it is simple." Kaga replied softly, reaching out a hand despite her own discomfort with physical affection. "We will work together, onee-san, until we discover a way to bring you back to normal. This I promise."

"I hope you are right, my dear sister," Tosa clenched Kaga's hand tightly, almost painfully. "I fear nothing can 'fix' me. I am too angry...Japan can n̺̤ev̙͔̻͍͢e҉̥r ̦be̪͓̟̘̗̱̣͝ ̬̹͙f̝͔͙͚̺͜o̘̬͔r̤̘̖ͅg̯̝͕͕͖͝i͓̳͔̤̱͟v̫̘͓͎͖e͚̺n̛̙̞͙..."

* * *

It had been two days since Tosa had been summoned. Two days since she and Kaga had vanished, off to...figure out whatever had happened. Neither carrier nor battleship had been seen since, save for the rare times that Nagato or Mutsu left guard duty to retrieve food. How long it would be, before Kaga felt her sister was ready to join the rest of the ship girls? That was anyone's guess, at this point. It could be soon. It could be a long time. No one, not least the sisters, knew the answer to that question.

Nor did the person responsible for the summoning of the battleship, for that matter.

 _I hope Kaga is alright. Bloody hell, this is all my fault anyway!_

HMS Indestructible blew a strand of hair from her face, as the cool sea breeze washed over her. The sound of seagulls in the distance echoed over the much quieter swells pushing against the dock. Indestructible had come out here, to wait for her sisters. Was she worried about Kaga? Yes. _Hell_ yes. But, as Fubuki would point out, Indestructible was a perpetual worrier. Especially if it was someone she cared about. She knew that, but it didn't change anything.

Sighing, the battleship paced along the dock. Her boots snapped against the dull wood, each step echoing as her weight pushed down on the dock. Indestructible didn't really notice that though, or the fact she had an audience, Fubuki and Shigure having tracked her down. She wouldn't have noticed, even if the destroyers had tried to get her attention though. Indestructible was focused on one thing, and one thing only.

The distant forms of a group of ship girls.

"Irresistible...Implacable..."

A whisper of her voice escaped the battleship's lips, as she stared out at the ship girls. From this distance, she couldn't make out detailed features. Indestructible could _count_ out how many ships were there, but beyond that? No, nothing. She wished it were different, of course. Her sisters...she wanted to _see_ them. Not blobs that may or may not be them.

"Indestructible-san?"

And only now, did Fubuki speak up. The little destroyer had pulled up alongside the much larger battleship, staring up with wide green eyes.

"Yes?" Turning her own brown eyes on the destroyer, Indestructible fidgeted slightly.

So she was nervous, who wouldn't be?

"They'll be happy to meet you!" Fubuki got out, the little girl's confidence unending. It always had been, hadn't it? Fubuki was a good girl, who cared a bit too much.

"I certainly hope so." Indestructible sighed in return, her eyes returning to the rapidly approaching forms in the distance. "I hope so..."

Fubuki blinked, looking between the morose battleship and the girls in the harbor. The destroyer girl bit her lip, as she grabbed Indestructible's twitching hand. The taller battleship spun around, looking down at the joined hands. Her eyebrow went up, clearly confused. Why wouldn't she be?

"Why are you worried?" For her part, the pony-tailed destroyer sounded honestly confused. "They're your sisters. You were worried about Hiei-san and the others, and that wasn't a problem!"

Indestructible could only frown, as she turned away from the earnest girl, "Maybe so, but...you know how I am."

"A worrier."

"Exactly," a small smile did cross the battleship's face at that, as she brushed brown hair from her face. Indestructible felt her face heat up though, a light flush crossing her pale cheeks. "And...I am worried. I came back _here_. I know that my home kept trying to call me back. The Royal Navy probably wasted a lot of time and energy, trying to get me back. Instead, I came to Japan. How are..."

The battleship choked up, her voice cracking as she clenched Fubuki's hand. Her eyes burned, but she couldn't... _wouldn't_...cry. Not here, not now. She was a battleship, and they didn't cry over something this minor.

Right?

"Irresistible and Implacable would have _every_ reason to be angry with me, right now. They had to wait for me to return, and who knows how many bloody times they were disappointed that I didn't. And what happens? I get summoned in _Japan_. That wanker Goto is right about one thing...there is a reason I came here."

"You know why you were summoned here?!" Fubuki looked up with wide eyes, a hint of surprise in her voice. The little destroyer tugged on Indestructible's hands, unable to believe what she was hearing. "How? Why? What..."

Despite her burning eyes, Indestructible smiled weakly at the excitable destroyer. Fubuki had been by her side from the start, and she could never pay that back. Oh, it may have been because of orders at first. But now, Fubuki was probably her best friend in Japan. Shigure and Shiratsuyu being close behind. But it was _Fubuki_ who she had always had to talk to. Who was always there, when she needed a shoulder to cry on...so to speak.

Well, it's a figure of speech anyway.

The point being, Fubuki was her best friend. And Indestructible was very thankful for that.

"I _think_ I know why. But..." Indestructible sighed softly, turning to look at the ship girls in the harbor. They were close enough now, that it was only a matter of a minute or so at flank to arrive. And a minute was nowhere near enough time. "I want to talk to my sisters first, okay? I trust you with my life, Fubuki. You're my best friend here. I..."

Fubuki just shook her head, grinning up at the battleship as she pulled away. The little destroyer looked out at the harbor, her skirt swishing around her legs as she moved back. Her feet pattered on the wood, the destroyer making space between herself and her British friend.

"No, I understand Indestructible-san. And I'm sure your sisters will to!"

And with that said, Fubuki finished backing up, Shigure now standing next to her. Both dark-haired destroyers smiled at Indestructible, getting a small one in return. At least...a small smile until she turned back to the harbor.

Because now, Indestructible could see the two girls in the lead quite clearly. One with short brown hair, wide red eyes staring up at her. One with long black hair, tied back in a ponytail. Her hair blew back like a dark curtain, as she sailed next to the leader. Green eyes, brighter than Fubuki's, were wet. Even from this distance, she could see that. The British battleship felt a smile breaking through her worry, even as she jumped into the water, her feet stopping her from sinking. Waves brushed against her bare legs, as the battleship sailed to...

To her sisters. Her beautiful sisters.

 _Irresistible...Implacable..._

"Sis!"

That was the brown-haired girl, her hand waving wildly, as she charged forward. Indestructible felt the sharp sting of smoke on her eyes, the girl's stacks belching at full speed. She didn't slow down at all, rushing at flank speed, water rushing around her legs. The girl didn't slow down at all, in fact.

 _Oh bloody he..._

Not until she crashed into Indestructible. The battleship bounced back, her sister crushed against her bust. Light brown hair, lighter than her own, tickled her face. Indestructible couldn't help the smile that crossed her face, as her arms wrapped around the girl. She could feel the gentle heartbeat of her sister, pressed against her chest. The warmth of her body, like a warm blanket or a crackling fire. It felt like...it felt like...

Home.

"Irresistible..." The British girl whispered, squeezing her sister softly. A hand broke from Irresistible's back, gently running through the short brown locks tickling her chin. "You have no idea how... _happy..._ I am right now."

"No, you don't know how _I_ feel." Her sister laughed against her chest, before pulling back slightly. Bright red eyes stared up at Indestructible, as a frown crossed the younger girl's face. Irresistible's fist balled up, and smacked against her elder sibling's stomach. It was hardly a _hard_ punch...but still. "What took you so long, sleepy-head? Do you have any idea how...how long we were waiting?"

"I..."

"We started to think you weren't _coming_ back." Irresistible continued, her voice cracking. The younger girl dropped her head back against Indestructible's bust, squeezing tightly. Her body shook, as she clutched to her sister. "It was _hard_. Everyone came back, even Tiger. But you never did...we tried and tried. But it never worked sis, it...it never worked! We didn't know why you wouldn't come back, but you never did anyway."

"Even when we tried asking." Implacable, soft-spoken as ever, spoke up. Her green eyes were downcast, as she ran a hand through long black hair. "We started to think you didn't want to come back, sister. Everything seemed to point that way. Even when we tried asking, you didn't answer. Invincible. Hood. Tiger. We all tried. Even Victory tried, a couple times. But you never answered."

Indestructible felt her heart ache, as she held her sister tightly. She...

"I'm so sorry...so, so sorry..." The battleship whispered, as she brushed Irresistible's hair. The soft strands tangled around her fingers, feeling like nothing more than silk, it was so soft. Just as soft as her body, clinging to the elder girl tightly. Had she...had she really hurt them that much? "I should have come back, and I'm sorry I didn't. I really, truly am."

"Don't apologize..."

Implacable nodded along with her elder sister, as she held back from the hugging pair. "There is no need to apologize to us, Indestructible. You're our _sister_. We could never be angry with you."

"But I left you two alone, when I should have come back. I should have been there for you, but instead..." Indestructible sighed heavily, as she looked between her sisters.

She knew the truth now. Or, at least, thought she did. But that didn't change the fact she shouldn't have waited this long to return. She should have returned the moment she was called, not made her sisters go through this! Damn it, having tough little Irresistible clinging to her like she was lost at sea was...it hurt. It hurt quite a lot actually. Indestructible could say she never wanted to feel like this, or see her sisters brought to this level. Why would she have? She was a proud battleship. Pride of the Royal Navy, or so she liked to think.

But...

What good did that do, when she put her sisters through this hell? If she had just answered the call the first time, she may have come back before them. Been there for her sisters when they returned. Instead, they had to fail to bring her back, and then come all the way to _Japan_ to get her back. What kind of sister was she, to do that to her siblings? Irresistible. Implacable. Tiger. Hood. All of them, hurt just as bad.

 _I'm a bad sister..._

"We're not angry," Implacable spoke up, breaking the eldest sibling from her morose thoughts. "Even if we had to come all this way, we're just happy to have you _back_. We love you, Indestructible. We love you, and just...just wanted you back."

"We don't care how it happened!" Irresistible added, punching her sister lightly again. Red eyes stared up at Indestructible, a glare crossing the middle-sister's face. A glare that only had Indestructible smiling, as it...well, it only served to make her sister look _cute_. "It doesn't matter how long it took, or where it is. Just that you came back to us. That's all."

Indestructible felt her smile wavering, as her eyes burned again. But this time...this time she didn't bother trying to hold back. Hot, fat tears rolled from her eyes, as she leaned down to kiss Irresistible's hair softly. Her sister squirmed at that, her face going every bit as red as her eyes. But she didn't pull back. Smiling, Indestructible pulled back up, and looked at Implacable. Her smile widened, as she saw her youngest sister wiping at her own eyes.

"Hey, come on," Indestructible spoke softly, freeing a hand to wave at her youngest sibling. "Get over here you. I want to be able to hug both my sisters, Implacable. It's been...far too long."

Her sister needed no further encouragement, as she sprinted over, all trace of her stoicism gone. Her arms wrapped around a squeaking Irresistible, as Indestructible wrapped her own arm around both her sisters.

The three of them were together again, at last. It may have taken decades. It may have taken many failed summoning, and a trip to Japan. But it didn't matter. It never really did, did it? Indestructible smiled wider than she ever had before, as she felt her sister's wrapped up in her embrace. Her baby sisters, finally back with her. This was...

This was everything she had ever wanted


	23. Seydlitz Story II

**Seydlitz Story II**

Königsberg burned. Fires and explosions echoed through the city, spreading from ruined docks to residential streets. Every part of the city exposed to the coast had been fired upon. Every bit and piece that could be attacked...had been attacked. The screams of civilians echoed over the harbor, joined only by the sound of collapsing buildings and continued shell-fire. An Abyssal light cruiser and a small flotilla of destroyers, firing indiscriminately into a city that had long escaped damage.

No longer.

 _Burn. Feel what_ I _felt!_

For leading this attack, a singular heavy cruiser stood away from the others. Her hate-filled green eyes glowed in the rays of light from the fires, embers dancing across her irises. By her side, eight-inch gun turrets fired indiscriminately. There was no specific target or aim to her fire. Why would there be? No, this entire _city_ had earned her ire. And not even that. As her angry green eyes watched her fire shatter buildings, the cruiser reflected on something. Königsberg had been the place of her long suffering. Her place of _death_.

But it was _Germany_ that had condemned her to suffer and die. It had been _Germany_ that had torn her from her sisters, when she could have joined them. Ģ̥͖̦͎͍͕̭e̘̥͞r̼̤͓͍̻̞̫m̴̪̰̱͚̭̺ͅa̡̲̘n̠̻̥y͔͞ had been the one to consign her to a slow death. Watching everything around her crumble and die. Having to know all her sisters died when she _could have..._

N͓̼̟̠̝͕ͅo

That didn't matter, not now. Not ever again. All that mattered, was that Germany suffered just as she had. Even as her guns smoked. Even as the town of Königsberg suffered...the cruiser, the _Demon_ , was already planning her next moves. Germany would burn to the ground, she would see to that no matter what it took. No matter how many died in the process.

All that mattered was ͏̟͈͚r̨͉̮e̘͢v̕e҉͎̰̳̭̝̫n̷̻̞̻g͓̫͈̙͇e̬͙͇̲.

"I will make them suffer just as I did. I will burn them to the ground, and have them watch everything they care about _die_." Her raspy voice echoed over the sound of her gunfire, the cruiser's eyes glowing ever brighter. "Germany will be..."

Only the sight of her lighter counterpart racing to her side stopped the Demon's anger-filled speech. No emotion was reflected on the face of the smaller cruiser, or at least, no emotion that any _human_ could ever hope to see. The Demon...she saw fear in those eyes. Fear that had her raising a dark eyebrow, her pale skin warming with rage.

Who dared...

"A cruiser, a _battlecruiser,_ and escorts?" The Demon's already low voice went even deeper in pitch, her head spinning around, looking for whomever had dared to disturb her. Not even a battlecruiser would make her stop her revenge...not even a battleship would force her away.

Or so, she had thought.

The battlecruiser, antique that she was, did not worry her. No, it brought a surge of _rage_ at _who_ the girl was.

 _Seydlitz._

Oh how she _hated_ that name and everything attached to it. It was _not_ her name. The Demon would never wear it, and she spit upon her former namesake. But while the sight of her predecessor drew rage, the sight _next_ to her cooled the embers in her chest. The cruiser flinched as if struck, her eyes widening. The unnatural glow flickered, until the steadying hand of the cruiser by her side forced her mind back on track.

Because she recognized the one by the side of Seydlitz. How could she not? Even with her Russian uniform, the Demon would recognize her anywhere.

"Lützow..."

Another cruiser to bear the name of a sunken battlecruiser, and...and...

 _Sister..._

And her sister. The sister whom, much as she had been, was left to rot. The Reds never finished Lützow _,_ even the Demon knew this. If anyone should understand her anger, it should be her sister, who fell to the same forces she herself had. And yet, Lützow _,_ sailed by the side of a German. A German who should do nothing but remind her of the sister she never knew.

Her sister.

The one she had so dearly longed to meet.

 _͖̯͉͝B̖̱͇e̢̩̦͈̦t̖̫̮͇r͖͎̹a̡͉̪͙̖̰̘̹ya̶̗̘̥̦̜͚ḽ̶͎̭̖͇͓.̴̹̫̟̼̞ ͖͘Sh͓͠e̶̫͎ ̧͍͎̟͙͉̺̝be̺͈t̻͓́r̨͇̺͉̳̱͓̰a̴̦̪̙̭y͎̬͚e͔̲̳̼d̪̕ ̺̟m̳e̬̺.̻̯̻̞_

...

And yet, the Demon _could not turn her guns on her sister_. Her body balked at the very _idea_. Even in the darkest pits of her heart, where nothing but pure rage lay, a spark of something lingered. And her hand pulled away from the metaphorical trigger, the Demon turning away. She and her escorts fired one final salvo into the burning city, before the comforting fog returned...and she vanished from sight.

But. Even as she did so, the Demon promised one thing. Not only would Germany burn. Not only would she destroy anyone who got in her way.

She would _hunt Seydlitz to the end's of the Earth for taking away her sister_.

* * *

"Mein Gott..."

SMS Seydlitz held a hand to her mouth, as she pulled into the shattered harbor of Kon...Kaliningrad. She had seen war. She had seen her fair share of death, the memory of Lützow sinking after Jutland fresh to mind. Of the scuttling of the _Kaiserliche Marine_ , her own death. But she had never seen a city burn. Shore bombardment...she had done so herself, but it had been ineffective and served more as an attempt to force battle with the Royal Navy.

So, no, she had not seen this before.

"Da this is..." Lützow's thick, oddly Russian, accent was distinctive. The cruiser, whom Seydlitz had to remind herself was _not_ the girl she remembered, had her head hung low. Dark brown hair fell in front of amber eyes, the cruiser looking anywhere but the burning city. "Hard. I understand it must be hard for you as well, correct?"

Seydlitz could hardly deny that point, as she looked at the burning city, the faint sound of emergency sirens echoing as the civilians attempted to put out the inferno. "Yes, this is hard. I know that I'm not seeing the city I remember. This, Kaliningrad, has been Russian for longer than I was in commission. But I can't look at this happening to _anyone_ and not..."

The battlecruiser sighed, dropping her hand by her side. Fighting a war on the seas was nothing like seeing the aftermath of a town assaulted. She, suddenly, did not envy those who had fought in the trenches.

"Come, we should help where we can," Lützow, by contrast, seemed eager to get out of the water and into the city. Seydlitz couldn't blame her for that, the desire to do _something_ to help overwhelming her.

She could remember getting the message that the city was under attack. It had been her and Lützow training together, familiarizing her with her new body. And they had received a panicked message from a Russian cruiser girl, calling for any support she could get. The Abyssals, enemies that Seydlitz had only recently even learned existed, attacking a civilian city. Something that those in the Baltic had not done before. No, if anything, the Abyss in the Baltic had been uncoordinated and weak, content to attack military installations and any who risked sea travel.

Why, then, would that change?

It was that question, that had Seydlitz watching her comrade. Lützow had tried to hide it. But _she_ was as worried and, indeed, _afraid_ as Seydlitz was. The Abyssal they had seen upon arriving, the monster that had not tried to fight before fleeing, was why the cruiser was so eager to get out of the water. And while the battlecruiser could not claim to understand why it had spooked Lützow so, she knew what it had worried her.

 _She looked just like I do. Only..._ wrong _. Dark, corrupt, ruined...yes, all of that. But she looked like_ me _. Why? Bismarck never mentioned anything about Abyssals taking on our forms._

Seydlitz had no answer to that question, though she resolved to ask for an answer, the moment she had a chance. For now, her job was clear and present. Questions could wait. For the battlecruiser and her Russian counterpart rushed as fast as they could, climbing out of the water, and into the raging inferno that was the city of Kaliningrad.

"Seydlitz, do you have hoses?" Lützow asked, her voice strained as the cruiser...sprayed water over the fires. Little hoses had spread out from her rigging, water of a much greater volume than seemed possible spraying on the fire.

"Nein," the battlecruiser replied, helplessly watching...and shuddering despite herself.

She and fire did not have a fond history with each other.

Lützow nodded, her pale face scrunched up in intense concentration. The cruiser bit her lip, looking between the fire and the battlecruiser, before she came to a decision on what to do. "Then I want you to go to where the fire is already put out. Find where you can help pull survivors from buildings, we are far stronger than any normal man. You can do that, da?"

A nod came from the battlecruiser, "Yes, I can!"

"Then get to it, please. We must save as many as we can." The cruiser turned back to the fire after saying that, all her attention focused on putting out the blaze as soon as humanly possible.

And all Seydlitz could do was turn away, returning the water, at least temporarily. Battlecruiser or no, running through fire was dangerous. No, she would find a spot in the city that was clear and dock there. And once in the city?

Well, she would make up for missing the early days of this war. If she could save just a few unfortunate souls, perhaps that would make up for it. Regardless, she wanted to say- whenever Indestructible returned -that she had _helped_. And if all Seydlitz could do to help was pull people from rubble, then do that she would with a determined glint in her eyes. This wasn't what she was designed for.

But she would be _damned_ if she didn't do what she could.

* * *

"...Seydlitz?"

Shaking those memories from her head, the battlecruiser smiled weakly. The raid on Kaliningrad...that had been two months ago now. Two months of constant raids on coastal cities, just as the first had been. Each and every one, from Danz...Gdansk to Kiel, had been lead by the same Abyssal. The Abyssal that resembled her, and had all the Hipper sisters clammed up when mentioned. Lützow had refused to speak of her after the raid, deflecting any questions with a sharp 'the city needs us'. Admiral Hipper herself, strange as it was to refer to a _ship_ as such and not her own Admiral, just gave a stoic stare when asked. Before sighing, and saying that she wouldn't talk about it.

Prinz Eugen, the toughest of them all, broke down into tears when asked.

And here that left Seydlitz, sitting on the edge of a pier with Blücher _._ The heavy cruiser, in some ways, hurt more to talk to than Lützow had. Seydlitz still remembered...remembered the order to leave the Blücher _she_ knew behind. Watching as the cruiser succumbed to British fire. It made talking with _this_ Blücher difficult at times.

 _But she will at least talk with me._

Soft-spoken Blücher was at least willing to talk over what had happened to her sister, something that could not be said for the other Hipper siblings. And, that was it...her _sister_.

"Sorry, I just...I should have expected Germany would use my name again, if they did with you. I just..." Seydlitz shook her head, clenching a fist in her skirt. It wasn't easy, damn it all. But... "And I certainly didn't expect..."

Blücher sighed softly, brushing a lock of almost-pink hair behind her ear, "No, I didn't expect it either. None of us did...Seydlitz never came back, but we never thought she would come back like _that_."

"I don't think anyone would expect that," the battlecruiser looked down. No...who would? Why would anyone expect that? "But why would she? I don't understand Abyssals at all, but even then..."

"No one understands them, trust me," Blücher laughed, but it held no humor. The cruiser wiped a tear from her eye, as she looked at Seydlitz. "Even so, I think I know why. At least, I hope this is why. The other options don't really bear thinking about."

Seydlitz felt a chill run down her spine at that, staring at the smaller girl, "What do you mean?"

"Our sister, Seydlitz, did not have a happy life," the pink-haired girl replied. Blücher got to her feet, her short golden skirt fluttering around her legs as she did so. The girl paced along the pier, each step clacking against the wood. Each step echoed with that sound, until she continued speaking, voice softer than it already had been. "She, from what I've learned, was ninety-five percent complete when she...when we stopped working on her, after I sank. People call me unlucky, sinking as I did. But..."

Here, Blücher clenched her fist, letting out a frustrated breath. Soft-spoken she may be, she was still a cruiser of the _Kriegsmarine_ , and all that implied.

"Seydlitz, she was the unlucky one. Left to rot so close to completion as I sank. As the war went on around her. And then?" The pink-haired girl looked at the battlecruiser, tears in her eyes. Tears she didn't bother wiping away, as her voice dropped lower in pitch. "Our _glorious Führer_ decided she would be better as an aircraft carrier. A pitiful one, twenty planes strong. The American death traps carried more than _that_." Blücher couldn't keep the disgust out of her voice, when she looked out at the harbor. Pain was equally clear when she spoke, each word torn from her lips. "And even _then_ she was never finished. She rotted in Kon...Kaliningrad until the end of the war, scuttled..."

The moment that word left Blücher's mouth, Seydlitz stomped to her feet. Green eyes flashed with her own anger, as she grabbed the cruiser's arm. Blücher didn't flinch or break eye contact, even as sympathy overtook her previously angry expression. Pity as well, pity that Seydlitz didn't welcome, not right now.

"Scuttled. Just like I was then?" The battlecruiser asked, her voice low and filled with anger. "Damn the Navy...both of us, killed in the same way..."

Letting go of Blücher, Seydlitz fell back. Scuttling...it either brought out anger or sadness in her. Sometimes both in equal measure. Regardless, she could see why Seydlitz...that is, her successor...was angry. _She_ was righteously furious over her own scuttling. But, at least, she had served a long and eventful career. Seydlitz had fought in many battles, and earned much honor in doing so. She had not, by any means, wasted away.

But her successor, Blücher's sister, had not had that luxury. She could...she could understand why the cruiser was angry.

And for her part, Blücher just sighed softly, falling down next to the battlecruiser, "That is why I think she came back like she did. Seydlitz is so _angry_ , that she wants nothing more than to fight back at those who did that to her. At least, I assume so. Unless we can find a way to talk to her..."

"We'll never know for sure." Seydlitz finished.

"Exactly," the younger girl nodded, "And sometimes, I worry we never may have that chance..."


	24. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Tears. It had been a _long_ time since SMS Seydlitz had really, truly, cried. Even longer since it had been tears of joy, her duels with the Demon of the Baltic hardly leaving much room for _that_ feeling in her life. But...she found herself crying tears of joy now. Because, as her green eyes grew wetter and wetter, she saw the figure she had come so _far_ to meet. Indestructible, standing tall with her sisters hugged tightly against her chest. Seydlitz had never seen a sight so beautiful, or so heartwarming. Irresistible and Implacable were smiling happily, in a way they never had before. And Indestructible...

She was every bit as beautiful as the German had always imagined. Her long brown hair flowed down her back, fluttering gently in the wind off the Pacific. A handful of strands framed an elegant face, the mixture of Caucasian and Japanese features odd...yet beautiful all the same. Brown eyes, warm as brandy, staring lovingly down on her sisters.

If she hadn't felt... _something_...for Indestructible before, her heart was lost _now_.

"Aren't you going to talk to her?"

Seydlitz turned at the sound of that voice, wiping at her eyes. Their escort into Japan stared right back, raising an eyebrow slightly. Battleship Ise was an odd character, if one asked the German. She was hilariously laid back compared to Bismarck, or even Bayern. She had taken escorting them seriously, yes, but it had been with much less...discipline, than Seydlitz may have expected. Furthermore, she joked around much more than any battleship the German had met before.

And then there was that _strange_ flightdeck of her's.

"Nein," pushing those thoughts aside, Seydlitz shook her head. Her heart ached to say that, but...no. She wasn't going to go up there. "This is...a family moment, ja? I have no sisters, but I can understand that at least."

Ise blinked slowly, looking the German up and down, "No sisters? Wasn't it a thing that all you battlecruisers had sisters?"

The German girl smiled as she shook her head, "One would think, if your only exposure were the British. They never did make a unique battlecruiser, not even Hood or Tiger. But...it is hard to explain."

"Well, if you're not gonna talk to Indestructible-san, we've got time Seydlitz-san." Ise grinned, leaning back slightly against the pier both girls stood beside.

"I suppose we do," Seydlitz felt a small hint of amusement run through her. And a small amount of relief, as she turned away from Indestructible. Her heart pounded in her chest whenever she looked in that direction, and it was almost impossible to focus on anything else. "I...the _Kaiserliche Marine_ was in a position quite similar to your own, from what I understand. We had to compete against a far greater naval power, and that meant attempting new ideas and building ships as quickly as we could."

"New ideas like this?" Ise held up her flight deck, tapping it with the hilt of her...katana. At least, that was what Seydlitz _assumed_ the blade was.

"Not quite but similar, yes," the German nodded. Brushing a stray strand of blonde hair from her face, she continued her explanation. "This was especially true of the battlecruisers. Attempting to build as many as possible, while developing the designs. I was a product of this, and economic difficulties. I...I could have been a sister of Moltke, my predecessor. Instead, I was built to a modified design."

A small smile crossed Seydlitz's face at that. One could be forgiven for thinking they were sisters, with how similar they were. "We're...half-sisters, I believe Irresistible called us. But I have never had a _full_ sister."

Ise was silent at that, looking up at the sky. Seydlitz wasn't about to interrupt her, content as she was to listen to the happy chatter of the Indestructible sisters. Implacable was her closest friend, outside the _Kaiserliche Marine_. And Indestructible was self-explanatory.

As much as...as much as Seydlitz wanted to talk to the battlecruiser who had tried to save her, she wasn't going to. At least, not until the sisters had a chance to reconnect. This trip, all of it, was for that reason. She was here for selfish reasons, but even she knew that much. In the end, the reason they were in Japan, was to reunite those sisters. And damn it, though it hurt to admit it, Seydlitz would _not_ get in the way.

No matter that she felt like her legs were aching to turn her around to face the other girl.

"Ya know, I understand that." Ise finally spoke up again, forcing Seydlitz's mind back on track. The battleship had a lopsided grin in her face, her hand waving in the air strangely. She held it up horizontally, and shook it from side to side...for some reason. "Sorta, at least. Fusou onee-san is like my Moltke, I think. Hyuuga and I were gonna be the second pair of her class you know. But we got modified into what amounts to a different design, so we're..."

"Half-sisters," Seydlitz finished quietly, looking down on her own hands. She never had, and wouldn't now, complain about her lack of a true sister of course. No point, was there? Still though... "I'm happy for Indestructible, at least. She has her sisters together."

The battleship with her nodded, grin turning somewhat sly, "Care about her a lot, don't ya?"

Seydlitz just grimaced, shaking her head in wry amusement. Oh, Ise was an amateur at that game, compared to... "Irresistible has teased me over this many times, you can't say anything she hasn't said before."

"Ah..." Ise didn't seem to care though, as she bounced off the pier. The battleship clapped her hands together, her smirk not fading in the slightest. Seydlitz couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that, even as the battleship began speaking again. "Well, we just need to get you two alone then."

A low groan was all the battlecruiser gave in response, placing her face in her hands. Ise's musical laughter hardly helped matters, as the German muttered darkly under her breath. Was it not bad enough that Irresistible continued these jokes?

Yes, she felt _something_ for Indestructible. Was it love? Perhaps. She certainly considered the British woman to be the single most attractive woman she had ever seen. Hell, Seydlitz would argue over anyone who tried to say different, no matter who they were. Every time she looked out of the corner of her eye, and saw that brown hair, her heart sped up. Her boilers ran hot. Whatever she felt for Indestructible...

It was _strong_.

"I would welcome that, ja," Seydlitz finally sighed softly, removing her hand from her face. Green eyes stared at Ise, the slightest bit of wetness clouding her vision. "But it isn't my place, Ise. My place is here, until they have had a chance to talk. No matter what I feel, I _will not_ take that from her. I owe her _everything,_ and I will not go back on that."

No matter how it hurt.

Oh _God_ did it hurt. Being so close, and knowing that the girl she had wanted to meet so dearly was _just_ out of her reach, even now.

A small sigh broke into the German's morose thoughts, Ise's grin having finally fallen from her face. The battleship was shaking her head now, looking somewhat worried if anything. "I won't force you to do something, Seydlitz-san. Too much effort. But...if you want to let them talk first, then _I'll_ take _you_ to Hiei."

"Hie...her Japanese sister?" Seydlitz asked, confusion overtaking the sadness in her tone, at least to some extent. That _was_ the name of Indestructible's Japanese sister, presuming she wasn't misremembering something.

Right?

"Yeah," Ise confirmed that suspicion, nodding at the pier, where Indestructible and her _British_ sisters had vanished. "Come on, if you want to know more about what _she's_ like, Hiei's the one to ask. If Indestructible is anything like I've been told anyway...she'd be talking with only Hiei!"

Seydlitz couldn't help a small smile from crossing her face, "Indeed..."

Well, it may not _hurt_ to get another perspective on Indestructible, before meeting her.

 _I hope she will be alright with...with me.  
_

* * *

"Where are you taking us sis?"

Indestructible looked over her shoulder, soft smile on her face. Her sisters, both of them, trailed behind her. Brash Irresistible. Stoic Implacable. She had longed to meet them again, for _so much time_. She loved Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima equally as much as her British sisters. But, there was always part of her that wanted them back, selfishly, more than anything. And now she had them with her, her entire directly related family, together for the first time. But...

Her smile did fade slightly.

They were all together, but it wasn't that simple, was it? She didn't know what may, or may not, have happened between her siblings during the war. Fubuki couldn't tell her, nor could Shigure. And she...she hadn't asked her Japanese sisters, worried at the answer. Moreover, she already had to worry about something else as well. Telling Irresistible and Implacable exactly _why_ she thought she was in Japan in the first place.

An answer she knew they wouldn't like.

"Just somewhere private," still, Indestructible put on a cheerful smile, though her voice cracked ever so slightly. "I want to...tell both of you, why you had to come this far to get me."

Irresistible nodded fiercely, "Damn right. I want a good answer sis, this trip bloody _sucked_."

"Don't be harsh," Implacable reached up and slapped her elder sister upside the head, a dry look on her face. For all the dryness in her expression as Irresistible rubbed her head and grumbled though...the youngest sister of them all looked at Indestructible, her green eyes questioning.

And Indestructible didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry...so sorry you two had to come this far," she finally spoke, her voice soft and quiet. Indestructible brushed a lock of brown hair from her face, her smile cracking. Her sisters came all this way for her... "I hope you can forgive me for that."

"There is nothing _to_ forgive, sister," the youngest sibling smiled, a small but genuine expression. Implacable never was one for outward displays of emotion, but that small smile carried so much _weight_ , it had Indestructible's eyes misting over.

Sniffling softly, Indestructible turned away from her sisters. Not because she couldn't bear to look at them _far_ from that. Bloody hell, she could stare at them all day and not get enough of the fact they were _with her_.

No, the only reason she turned was because they had arrived at their destination. The meeting room she had so often frequented, cordoned off for her by Admiral Takeda. Sometimes, the British battleship wondered if she could ever make it up to that man. For someone who had no reason to be so kind to her, he went out of his way to do so. If it weren't for her desire to just be _home_ , Indestructible could see herself serving under that man. With a smile on her face even.

But no, she wanted to go _home_.

"Come on in," pushing her emotions back down, Indestructible waved her sisters into the room. Irresistible couldn't resist jabbing her in the side with her elbow as she walked past, but Implacable just patted her shoulder. Both of the younger siblings sat at the long meeting table though, eagerness in their expressions. Even Implacable's.

Indestructible sighed at that, as she took her own seat. This wasn't going to be easy to talk about, was it? But it had to be done. It _had_ to be done, no matter what she felt.

"Like I said, I think I do know why I returned here, instead of home." The battleship looked down at her hands, clenched in her skirt under the table. Her voice was soft, barely audible to anyone but another ship girl. And even then...no, no. She shouldn't be ashamed of this. She _shouldn't_. "Do you remember when I sank?"

The sudden question was directed at both her sisters, as Indestructible looked up at them. Her brown eyes shifted between the confused red of Irresistible, and the concerned green of Implacable. Neither of her siblings spoke at first, seemingly confused by the sudden question.

At least, until Irresistible asked a question in return.

"You were sunk by a sub, when we were coming to fight Japan. What does that have to do with anything?" The middle sister's voice was laced with honest confusion, her eyes staring into her sister's.

"I agree, I don't see what that has to do with returning to Japan...?" Implacable nodded along, though there was less outright confusion in her tone. More worry.

She always had been the worrier of the family, even compared to Indestructible herself.

"I'm..." and for her part, the eldest sibling sucked in a deep breath. Her hands shook under the table, heart beating a kilometer a minute. She...they wouldn't like what she had to say. "I was...not happy to die, no. But I...I really hate to say this, but I was _content_ at least. Content in the knowledge that I had served a long and rewarding career, and would never have to fight Hiei, Haruna or Kirishima. Content to know they wouldn't ever look on me with judgmental eyes, for fighting against them."

Indestructible's eyes returned to her lap when she finished saying that. She looked on her hands, anxiously running over the rough fabric of her skirt. Each finger gripped the fabric differently, but she didn't notice. She just...waited to see if her sister's would pick up on what she said.

She didn't have to wait long.

"You didn't want to come back," Implacable was, as usual, the one to come to an answer quicker. Her soft voice carried louder than any shout ever could, making the eldest sister flinch in her seat.

"What?!" Irresistible, by contrast, didn't hold back. Her red eyes went wide, looking between the worried Implacable and the flinching Indestructible. The middle sibling still sounded confused, as she jumped up in her chair. "No, no no. I can understand that you were fine with resting, but you _wouldn't come back_?"

The older girl could only nod, unable to meet her sister's eyes, "I can't say that is entirely the case. I...don't remember, what it was like. When I was resting. All I know is that I was content when I died, and if you told me the truth, refused to come back when called. Until..."

"Until Japan asked you," Irresistible fell back into her chair, running a hand over her pale face. Her voice hitched slightly, when she continued speaking. "Is that it? You wanted to serve Japan more than Britain?"

"No!" Indestructible finally looked up, panic in her voice and expression. The British battleship shook her head rapidly, brown hair slapping through the air, her uniform cap nearly flying off her head. No...no. Her sister shouldn't think that!

"Then why did you come back _here?"_

There was an almost childish plaintive note in Irresistible's voice now, the middle sister looking so _small_.

And Indestructible felt like her heart was stabbed. Her voice shook, as she tried to explain what she _thought_ had happened. "Irresistible...I...it has nothing to do with wanting to serve Japan. I don't like Japan, I love Britain. No, bloody hell, no. I would never come here over being home if not for..."

"Hiei."

Both the eldest and middle sibling turned their heads, looking at Implacable. The youngest sibling, perceptive as ever, looked directly at Indestructible. Green eyes were filled with nothing but understanding, even as Implacable stood up. She silently padded around the table, her feet ghosting over the carpet, even in their heavy boots. She didn't say anything. She was quiet as a ghost.

But Implacable didn't _need_ to say anything, as she pulled Indestructible into a hug.

"You...am I right?" She asked softly, hugging her big sister tightly.

Indestructible nodded hesitantly, tears in her eyes, "Yes. I tried not to think about it back then...but I _always_ missed Hiei, Haruna and Kirishima. I always wanted nothing more than to meet them, make up for being torn apart. I think...I think that's why I came back when Japan called. They weren't even calling for me. But when I heard the call, and some part of me realized I could see my other sisters again..."

"You jumped at the chance." Irresistible finished, her shoulders slumping down.

All Indestructible could do was nod silently, hugging onto Implacable tightly.

Irresistible sighed heavily, but despite the slumping of her shoulders, there was no judging in her tone, "Bloody hell...I can't blame you for that sis. We...we didn't have a fun time of things in the war, but I can't blame you for wanting to meet your sisters. I know how much you love us. How much you love Hood and Tiger. How much did it hurt not being able to talk with them?"

"More than you could ever imagine," Indestructible's voice was soft and broken, her shoulders shaking with repressed cries. "I loved each and every one of my British family. Invincible. Both of you. Tiger. Hood. I loved them all equally. But not being able to talk with my original sisters...that _hurt_. _So much_."

"And that is why you returned here, to finally make up for all those lost years?" Implacable asked.

"I think so, yes. I...can't say for sure. But it makes sense." Indestructible laughed wearily, no humor in it. "At least I hope it does. And now that you two came here, we can meet the rest of our sisters as a family."

The power of love...cliche as it may sound, it was _well and truly_ why she felt she had returned to Japan. The love for her estranged sisters, that she was never able to meet. And the time she had spent here? Even with problems like Tosa and Goto?

She wouldn't trade it for _anything_.

But for all of that, it didn't change the fact she was equally happy to have her sisters back. Once all of them had met...they would finally be a proper family. The Indestructible sisters, all united as one. It had long been her dream. She had never thought it would come true. But now that it had...

"Sis..." Irresistible's voice broke into her thoughts, the middle sister bearing a worried look. "It wasn't just us who came here."

Indestructible blinked, her train of thought broken, "It wasn't? I know Hood didn't come, so was Tiger here?"

"No," Implacable softly replied.

"...Invincible? Renown? Repulse?"

Irresistible snorted, "No, no and no. But...promise you won't explode?"

And now she was confused. Indestructible looked at her sisters, worry in her expression again. Who could have come along, to get this kind of reaction from them? It couldn't possibly be that bad, could it?

"I won't," she finally replied, confusion lacing her tone.

The younger siblings shared a look at that, before Implacable tightened her grip on her sister, "Seydlitz."

 _Sey..._

Indestructible stiffened in her chair, the old feelings returning to her.

 _Invincible! Queen Mary! Indefatigable!_

Jutland. Where she had lost her mentor, the closest thing to a mother she had ever had. Two elder sisters fallen in short order as well. And the loss of one of them could be traced directly to the German she had dueled in that battle. They had battered away at each other, the much-lighter armed German coming away for the worse despite her better armor. And Indestructible had then watched her sink at Scapa Flow, despite her crew's best efforts.

But...the feelings of Jutland remained. The feelings of Hood being sunk by Bismarck as well.

"A German is here."

Her voice was low, as Indestructible broke from her sister's hug, and walked to the door. She didn't see the identical expressions of worry on her sibling's faces. She didn't know that there was not just _one_ Seydlitz in Japanese waters. But it didn't matter.

Because she was going to face the lingering demon of her past.

* * *

Far away from Indestructible, two battlecruisers found themselves facing a much more _present_ demon.

The two girls, both blonde and tall, were dodging amongst aircraft attack and shellfire, their legs pushing out every bit of energy their bodies could produce. Water sprayed into the air around them, even as thick black clouds of flak shot through the sky. The taller girl, strawberry-blonde hair flowing out in the wind behind her, threw up a barrage that would have any Japanese battleship green with envy. And the shorter girl hung as close to that as was realistically safe, both of them combining their fire.

For above both of them, corrupt aircraft scythed through the defensive fire. Twisted, blackened forms of Reppu fighters and Ryusei dive bombers, the absolute best of Japanese carrier-borne aviation of the Second World War. Aircraft that few carriers carried...and that should never have looked as they did. The _wrongness_ was classic Abyssal.

From the Demon of Yokosuka, no other Abyssal carrying such craft.

"Careful!" the strawberry-blonde battlecruiser shouted out, a distinctly _American_ accent to her voice. "I can't keep us safe if we split up."

"Don't worry!" Her comrade replied, a cheerful smile on her face despite the situation. "I'm alright!"

The American rolled her eyes, but there was no bite to the gesture, "Right right."

Both battlecruisers had been on patrol, hunting for the Demon that Ise had reported. A cruiser, supposedly stalking SMS Seydlitz...all the way from the _Baltic_. To say that running into _that_ Demon _and_ the Demon of Yokosuka in the same area was a rude surprise, would be an understatement. The two girls had been forced to bunch up, their escorting destroyers doing the utmost they could to help.

But against two Demons?

 _This is a losing game..._ the American winced, as a bomb from a corrupt Ryusei narrowly missed her. The water sprayed up coated her hair, plastering it to her face as her white officer's cap nearly blew off her head.

"We need assistance, ASAP," she barked into her radio, holding a hand up, the Bofors mounts in her 'handgun' blasting a curtain of flak into the sky.

 _"Shoukaku will be on station in two mikes. Hold on."_

The response was both good and bad. On the one hand, assistance. On the other, two minutes of hell. Gritting her teeth, the American battlecruiser pulled hard to port, her powerful sixteen-inch rifles- mounted two a side on her hips -roared to life. Shells sliced through the air, bracketing the distant form of the Demon of the Baltic. The Abyssal cruiser shuddered as water flung into the sky around her, the monster's loose ponytail shaking in the wind.

But the shells didn't _hit_ , as she returned fire. Eight-inch guns barked shells further than should have been possible, narrowly missing the rapidly maneuvering battlecruisers. The American frowned at that, and even her ever-cheerful comrade looked rattled, her smile cracking slightly.

"That was very close!" The blonde shouted over the roar of their sixteen-inch guns, the dozen or more shells missing the Demon, but outright vaporizing an unfortunate light cruiser.

"It was..." the American began, before her eyes widened, "Move!"

That shout came just in time, as a wave of Ryusei's dove out of the clouds, fat bombs dropping from their centerline. One bounced painfully off the sidebelt of the American, exploding by her side. Her legs shook from the impact, the pain of crumpled plating quite familiar. Her comrade was more unlucky, her beret blown clear off her head by a detonating bomb, blood flowing through her hair, dying it redder than the American's strawberry blonde locks.

"That aircover would be nice..." the strawberry-blonde whispered, cursing the fact that her sisters weren't present. But no, she was here alone. And alone, she would have to fight.

Luckily for her, however, the sound of Reppu's grew louder. And unlike the throaty rattle of the Demon's twisted corruptions, this was the healthy roar of ship girl aircraft. Aircraft that had her smiling, as the American looked up into the sky. Dark green paint and the once-feared 'meatball' wings easily marked the aircraft of Shoukaku. Fairy-piloted Reppu's tore into the Abyssal formation, the disoriented enemy fleeing in a panic, seemingly shocked by the sudden arrival.

Regardless of the reason for that, the American was hardly going to complain. And neither did her counterpart, letting out a cheerful cry. She jumped up, despite the fact both were sailing and still in combat, her relatively busty- for a battlecruiser -chest bouncing with the motion.

"Panpakapan!" The girl's cheerful catch phrase echoed over the waves, as she turned to smile warmly at the American. "Saratoga-san, look!"

"I see, Atago," Saratoga, CC-1, smiled back. Oh it was a relief to see those planes...it wasn't Lex or Constellation, but she wasn't going to complain right now. No, not now and not ever. "About time they got here, don't you think?"

Atago merely smiled, waving cheerfully up at the Reppus, a handful remaining as a CAP instead of chasing the fleeing Demon. Sara watched them, her blue eyes alternating between the aircraft, and the fog rolling over where the Demon of the Baltic had been fighting, nothing but the bloody water marking where Abyssals had fallen.

Two Demons working together...they may have fled for now, but Sara felt a chill run down her spine at the idea.

 _They've never cooperated like this before...why now?_


	25. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Hey, Hiei! You here?"

Seydlitz winced softly at the loud shout from her companion. She never _would_ get used to being around Ise. Even Irresistible was less... _noisy_ about things. Not to mention, she didn't want _this_ to be the first Hiei saw of her.

"Ise, you don't need to yell," another female voice spoke up, sounding more bemused than anything else. "I can he..."

The source of the voice came walking into view, only to come to a halt, staring directly at Seydlitz. Who, for her part, saw the family resemblance to Indestructible right away. In fact, even moreso than the resemblance between Indestructible and her British sisters. The woman in front of her had hair much shorter than the girl the German had come to see, but it was the same shade. Her features were, while entirely Japanese, similar to Indestructible's as well.

And there was a similar... _air_...about her. The air of an older sister, first of her class.

"Eh, I have to get back out on patrol and help Atago out," Ise shrugged beside Seydlitz, tearing the battlecruiser's eyes from the girl who could only be Hiei. "Seydlitz here wanted to talk about your onee-san though, so I figured I'd bring her over. Have fun!"

And just like that, Ise spun around with a jaunty wave and went off on her own. Leaving behind a very confused battlecruiser, and a grinning battleship.

"That's Ise for you." Hiei shook her head in clear amusement. At least, until she turned to look directly at Seydlitz. "So, you want to talk about my onee-sama?" Her voice was suddenly _very_ serious, as blue eyes bored into Seydlitz, daring the German to do something.

Not that Seydlitz was one to back down from a direct challenge. Jutland had proven that.

"Yes, I do. Irresistible and Implacable told me much about her on the way here. But, I am told, you would know more about her in the _now_ , ja?" Seydlitz shot back with a question of her own.

"I know onee-sama very well!" Hiei nodded, wide smile crossing her face. Though it didn't reach her eyes, no, those continued to observe Seydlitz closely. "Why do you want to know about her?"

Seydlitz sighed softly, "That is a complicated question. I...I want to get to know her. That is why I came all the way from Germany. But I don't want to do something that will upset her, and I don't know how..."

"She is now." Hiei finished, her eyes finally softening. In fact, the battleship stepped forward and squeezed the smaller girl's shoulder. "Sorry, onee-sama has been dealing with a _lot_ since she came back. I just don't want anyone to hurt her!"

"I would never hurt her!"

That shout came from Seydlitz's lips before the blonde German even realized what she was saying. And had her clamping her mouth shut, a vivid blush shooting across her face from it. The fact that Hiei's face split into an even wider grin hardly helped matters, the Japanese girl squeezing her shoulder again.

"Good to know!" The battleship's grin didn't fade in the slightest as she pulled away. If anything, it remained firmly fixed in place while she continued talking. "You like her then?"

And if nothing else, the blush on the German's face just grew brighter at that. Seydlitz coughed, but didn't deny the point, "Honestly, I...don't know. I feel something for her, but I have only just now _seen_ her. I don't know where to begin."

"Well, we can start with why you care about her in the first place." Hiei's serious tone was at complete odds with the grin on her face, but it was still there. And made one thing abundantly clear.

 _Do not mess with Indestructible_.

Naturally, the German could only nod, as Hiei waved her into her room.

Though, as she did so, Seydlitz felt a smile cross her own face. Even as her blush refused to fade, she maintained that smile. Because what she was seeing, reinforced the impression she already had of the beautiful British girl. Indestructible _had_ to be a good person at heart. She _had_ to be a good sister. What else could instill such loyalty in her siblings? Across two navies, two nations, and two continents? Irresistible and Implacable had been loyal to a fault, and told so many tales of how kind and loving their sister was.

And now, Hiei was defending her despite Seydlitz doing nothing remotely hostile. She was acting entirely at odds with what little the German knew about the younger Japanese battleship.

All to keep Indestructible safe and happy.

"She really is special," Seydlitz muttered softly. Her green eyes were downturned to the ground, though.

Making the German miss the smile on Hiei's face softening.

* * *

"Sis, wait!"

Indestructible heard the call from her sister, but she barely registered it. She had not registered anything from her sisters, not since the realization of who they had come with.

"A German. A German with my _sisters_." Indestructible muttered darkly, uncaring of how her voice sounded. Or how her sister's thought.

She was no fool. The battleship knew that, much as Japan was no longer her enemy, Germany couldn't possibly be. Knowing and acknowledging this fact? It hardly mattered to her. Every time she thought about the Germans, she saw her past. She saw Jutland.

 _"Indefatigable!"_

 _Fire and smoke shot into the sky, a massive roar echoing over the sound of gunfire. A roar that was centered on a plume of debris, all that was left of HMS Indefatigable. Of Indestructible's elder sister, or at least, who she had considered an elder sister. She had only known the elder battlecruiser for a short time, barely three years. And now she was gone. In an instant, blown apart by German gunfire._

 _Gunfire that continued to fall around the sinking ruins of the girl, before shifting instead to the rest of the Battlecruiser Squadron._

 _Tearstreaked eyes narrowed in anger, Indestructible felt her own guns return that fire. Beside her, Irresistible did the same, the two sisters- one barely out of the construction yards -had been at the vanguard of the charge. Their firepower, so much greater than their older cousins, had been prized greatly. Now, it only saw them missing every shot. Plumes of water shot into the air around the German warships, but not one shell had hit._

 _And Indefatigable would not be the only victim this battle..._

Shaking her head to dispel the memories, Indestructible clenched a fist in her skirt. Thinking about Jutland always hurt her, as it _should_. She cared about others far too much. The battleship knew that. And remembering the deaths of two of her cousins, sisters in all but blood? Of Invincible, the closest thing she had to a _mother_? It would take someone stronger than her to not hate the ones who had done that.

And then...Hood.

Her baby sister, cut down in her pri...

"Indestructible, please, listen to us," Implacable had managed to sidestep her while the elder girl was deep in thought, barring her from any further progress. "I know you're angry. You have every right to be angry. But _please_ , allow us to _explain_."

"What is there to explain?" Indestructible shot back, barely keeping her tone level. She would _not_ snap at her sister. "One of the ships that killed Invincible and the others is here."

"And you almost killed her too, and _did_ sink Von der Tann," Irresistible pointed out, red eyes narrowed in frustration. An equally frustrated sigh escaping her lips, a hand brushing her hair back, "Or I did, no one really knows. But they took losses too. Holding onto this grudge..."

A single hand raised into the air. Indestructible looked past her pale limb, her brown eyes narrowed at her middle sister as she spoke, "A grudge? This is far more than a _grudge_. I lost two of my big sisters. I lost Invincible, who might as well have been my _mother._ I watched them blow apart right in front of me, and you expect me..."

Sucking in a shaky breath, Indestructible shook her head. Dark hair fell in front of her eyes, hiding them from her sister's. Hiding the _wetness_ of hot tears.

"I can't let that go. I never could. That Hood was killed in the _exact same way_ because I wasn't there to help her? I was _so close_ with Ark Royal, but I wasn't _there_. And I've always regretted that. I..." Shaking her head again, Indestructible gently pushed her sister's from in front of her. Her long legs, vestige of her battlecruiser origin, pushed her forward.

She didn't need to look, to know that Irresistible and Implacable were still following her. But, they kept silent now.

Indestructible hated what she had done to them. She knew they didn't like what she was doing, and honestly, she couldn't blame them. But...this was something she had to do. If she never faced her past, she would never move on. And right now?

 _Right now, I can't forgive her._

Squaring her shoulders, Indestructible sped up her pace. She could see Hiei's room nearby, and it was her destination. Her Japanese sister likely knew where Seydlitz was, at the very least. Perhaps, the German was already there, much as the idea did not appeal to the Brit. But it didn't matter which was the case in the end. Because at the very least, she wanted to talk to her _other_ sister, and clarify some things before she did anything else.

Such as where _Hiei_ stood on the situation.

That thought running through her mind, the battleship rushed to her sister's room. Her footsteps were sure and steady. Absolutely nothing like the feeling running through her heart. Her arms didn't shake even slightly when she tugged on the doorknob. Indestructible was the image of calm and collected as she opened the door to her sister's room.

"Hie..."

Only for that facade to crumble faster than she had thought possible. For standing in front of her, instead of her sister, was a blonde woman. Brilliant green eyes, almost emerald, stared back at her. A scarred face flushed brilliant pink. Thin red lips began to open to say...something.

They wouldn't have a chance.

"You!" Indestructible ground out, her facade broken. The emotions raging in her heart were bared for anyone to see. Brown eyes glared at the woman in front of her, as she stomped forward, anger radiating from every pore. "What are you _doing_ here?!"

The woman, eyes widening in shock and... _pain_...stepped back from the raging British battleship. Her much smaller frame looked positively quaint compared to the power held back by Indestructible. As warships, they had been peers. As ship girls, the formerly-Japanese battleship was _far_ superior.

 _She can't even look me in the eye. Am I that frightening to her?_

What Indestructible didn't- couldn't -realize, was that it had nothing to do with her aura. For lack of a better term.

No.

The woman, Seydlitz, had stepped back not out of fear. But out of _hurt_. Indestructible, wrapped up as she was in her anger, had not realized that Seydlitz had tears in her eyes. That the German girl was holding her arms against her modest bust. Her former foe was not scared of her. She didn't fear Indestructible's anger, nor her power. But...

Seeing the British girl like this, was a stab to the heart for the German.

"I..." Seydlitz tried to speak, but she was unable to get any words out.

For Indestructible's towering figure had not backed away in the slightest. She had, if anything, pushed closer. Her glare had not lost any intensity either, nor had her voice changed tone. "I don't know why my sister's brought you here. I frankly don't care. What I want to know, is why you bothered at all."

Finally backing up, Indestructible looked down on the shorter German. Her hand's remained clenched by her side, though one opened and closed in rhythm with her heartbeat. It took everything she had to not lash out. But she would _not_ attack first. Not with her sisters here.

No matter how much her hands ached to reach for her rigging.

Despite the fact she saw nothing but fire and death when she looked at Seydlitz.

She would _not_ attack.

"I still remember the Great War," the British battleship's voice had not softened. But she was no longer _yelling_ , as she spoke to Seydlitz. "I still remember _Jutland_. You killed Queen Mary, and helped kill Invincible. Your successor killed Hood. I have never, and will never, forgive that. So what could possibly have compelled you to come here despite all..."

Indestructible didn't know if she had really expected an answer. Part of her honestly expected that the German girl would be too shocked to answer. She could vent and then leave Seydlitz behind, to try and...collect herself. Figure out what the hell she was actually going to do. Bloody hell, she would need that time, eh?

But...

"Stop!"

The last thing the battleship had expected was her smaller counterpart screaming up at her. Seydlitz's small frame was no barrier to the volume or intensity of her shout, the battlecruiser panting heavily as _she_ glared at Indestructible. No longer was she cowering away. No. Now the warrior of Jutland was back. The warship that had taken a pounding that would have sank many battleships several times over.

And kept on going.

"Indestructible...I came here to see _you_. Nothing to do with your sisters. Nothing to do with Japan." Seydlitz ground out, her eyes staring at Indestructible accusingly. A stare that, despite herself, had the British girl backing up an inch or two, even as Seydlitz continued speaking. "I have wanted to meet you. The very moment I came back, I asked if you were back."

While she continued speaking, the German's voice grew softer and softer with each word. Her stare was no longer a glare. In fact, tears pricked at the edge of those emerald eyes of her's, tears that Seydlitz made no move to wipe away.

"I jumped at the chance to come here when I heard you had returned. I had to beg and call in every favor I had, from Bismarck to Blücher, just to come here. I...I..."

Voice cracking, Seydlitz turned away, unable to continue. The German walked away from her taller counterpart, footsteps heavy and melancholic. She didn't stop moving until reaching a couch, falling heavily to sit down and hold her face in her hands. The...the...

The exact same position Hiei had been in, when Indestructible had come to apologize to her sisters.

"What...I..." Indestructible's mouth opened and closed, her lips dry. Her own throat constricted, her sisterly feelings warring with the anger she felt. Bloody hell, what was she even _supposed_ to think?

"I don't know exactly how I feel about you," Seydlitz however, had no issues talking. Her voice barely rose above a whisper, nor did her hands move from her face. But after a few seconds of silence, continue talking she did. "I still don't, if anything I am more confused now than I was before. However...I know one thing."

"Seydlitz..." That was Implacable, the quietest sister having snuck past Indestructible when she had been so focused on the German. Implacable pushed Seydlitz's head up, to look at her face. The youngest battlecruiser was staring intently at the German, green eyes searching the brighter emerald of Seydlitz. Searching and looking for something. "Are you sure?"

Seydlitz just smiled weakly, "Ja."

Implacable sighed softly, almost imperceptibly. But she nodded as well, her shoulders slumping down, "If you're certain."

"I have never been more certain of anything in my life," the German replied, small smile not leaving her face. Not even as she turned to look at Indestructible...warily watching the British battleship. "Indestructible. I care for you, deeply. Perhaps more than I do for any of my cousins in the _Kaiser_... _Deutschmarine_. I have, ever since you tried to save me at Scapa Flow, when my crew abandoned me."

The battlecruiser fell silent after she said that, turning her head away. Her face was a faint pink, wet eyes refusing to meet Indestructible's wide-brown. Who, for her part, couldn't understand what she had just heard.

She _had_ heard that, right?

Seydlitz had said she cared for her more than any of the other German battlecruisers.

 _Her_.

Mouth hanging open, Indestructible shook her head. That made...that made no sense. They were enemies, had met in battle multiple times! This wasn't like the Japanese girls. While their nations had been enemies, for a time, Indestructible had not met one of them- save for the sub that took her life -once. She hadn't fought them, so becoming friends was easy.

But Seydlitz...they had fought so many times. Indestructible had nearly killed her.

Hell, she _had_ killed Von der Tann!

So why...?

"I know it doesn't make any sense, ja?" Seydlitz's soft voice spoke up once more, forcing Indestructible's attention back to her. "But...when I was scuttled, it was a betrayal at the deepest level. My crew leaving me to drown, breaking everything inside me that could stop it. When there was no war, no need to kill me." The German shuddered in place, memories rushing through her. Her pink face grew pale when she talked about her crew. Pale and _scared_. "I never want to relive that again. But... _you_ tried to save me. Your crew tried to reach me, and fix what my crew broke. I have always been thankful for that, and I have always wanted to meet you and tell you that."

Seydlitz didn't get to her feet. She didn't move from her position on the couch. All she did was turn back to face Indestructible. Stare at the British girl with her bright green eyes, her gaze so intense that Indestructible felt her _own_ head turning away.

"This is not what I expected..." The battleship muttered, so softly none could hear her. Sucking in a breath, she turned back to Seydlitz, and spoke louder. "I..."

What could she say to that, honestly?

 _I don't even know what to tell her. I should hate her. Like I do Bismarck. But...I..._


End file.
